Naruto Rewrite 2: In the White Snake's Coil
by ArachCobra
Summary: The Chuunin Exam, a grueling test for genin seeking to advance, looms ever closer. But Team Kakashi has much more to worry about. Someone is pulling the strings from behind the scene, manipulating event and setting people up against each other. Soon, all of Konoha feels the coil tighten around them, as everyone seeks to avert what might be an oncoming disaster.
1. Shark Attack

_AN: Hi and welcome back to this project. Nothing much to add here, just hoping you'll all enjoy it._

**Naruto Rewrite 2: In the White Snake's Coil**

**Chapter 1: Shark Attack**

The warm sun's rays bathed the land in a pleasant warmth. Konohagakure bustled with everyday activity, many of its citizens taking advantage of the good weather to tend to their gardens, clean their windows or just enjoy the blue skies.

It was also a boon to the four weary travellers who approached the gate.

"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed happily. "Home sweet home. I've never been so happy to see good old Konoha before."

"Agreed. I'm going to spend so many hours in a hot spring," Sakura sighed, before looking to the team's third genin. "What about you Sasuke?"

The raven-haired teen paused. "Resting would be nice," he admitted, though he didn't sound like he liked having to say that. "Before resuming my training."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Naruto asked.

"You should take _your_ training just as seriously," Sasuke remarked. "If it hadn't been for that... Thing inside you, Haku would have taken you down."

"Hey, I might have been able to take him," the blond insisted.

"In your dreams, maybe."

"Okay, listen here you..."

"Would you two please stop arguing," Sakura groaned. "I'm too exhausted to deal with it. What about you, Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Huh? Sorry, Sakura, I was just ignoring you all for a moment," the silver-haired ninja replied. "What did you say?"

She sighed. "What do you do to relax?"

"Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that," he replied, with a gesture of his hand. "And some book reading, of course."

"Is that book really that interesting?" Naruto asked sceptically.

"It's very informative and well-written," their teacher insisted. "But before we can relax, we'll have to drop by the Hokage's office and deliver our report." He paused. "And what a report it'll be."

As they passed through the great gates of the city, a voice from the inspection station at the side halted them with a: "Hey, Kakashi. Finally back I see."

The cyclopean ninja eyed the stationed ninja. "On guard duty again, Kotetsu?"

"You know it," the ninja replied with a grin. His black hair was long and spiky, a long strip of bandage going across the bridge of his nose. "So, how did the whole Tazuna thing go?"

"Ah, let's see," Kakashi noted slowly. "It definitely went places."

The ninja guard paused, then eyed the three genin. Naruto tried a smile, while Sakura looked away, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Sasuke just stared back, absentmindedly rubbing his chest where Haku's needles had pierced it.

"I see," Kotetsu noted, his tone becoming slightly less jovial. "I understand. You better be off to the Hokage's office then."

"That was the plan," the silver-haired jonin replied, as the four walked off. "See you later."

Naruto looked around as they walked through the city. It felt strange to be back home. Even slightly unreal. Occasionally, he'd eye another ninja. Their gazes would meet. They didn't say anything, but many respectfully nodded before going on their way.

"I guess just about anyone can tell," Sakura mumbled, also noting it.

"True. It's often quite obvious when genin have been through their first trial by fire," Kakashi added. "But you have all three done well and my report will reflect as much."

They entered the great central building in which the Hokage had his office, greeting a secretary by the front desk.

"Kakashi Hatake," the jonin said, handing over his ID. "Reporting back from a mission. Is the Hokage available? There are certain circumstances about the mission I'd like to discuss immediately."

"He's going over some budget reports," the secretary replied, looking over some notes. "But he hasn't said anything about not wanting to be disturbed, so I think it should be fine."

"Thanks." He turned to his three students. "Now, you three stay here and try not to argue too much before I'm back." He paused, rubbing his chin. "Actually, thinking about it, if you have to argue, you probably better get it out before I'm back." With those words, he waltzed out of the building again, pausing briefly outside the door before leaping up the side.

"Why don't they ever use the stairs?" the secretary sighed.

"It feels weird," Naruto noted, turning to the two others. "Being home again, I mean."

"I know," Sakura sighed. "I guess it's not unsurprising. We've spent so long now, everyday being on guard in case that Gato's goons or Zabuza and his team would come after us. Seeing all those people and..." She paused, folding her arms. "And our mission went well. We left the Land of Waves better off. But still... I dunno. I can't really put it into word." She looked out a nearby window. "Will it always be like this? Will home ever really feel like home again?"

"Uhm... Huh... I..." Naruto scratched his head. "I mean... It's weird but... You know, sure, it was hard. But... Maybe that's why they want us to relax."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.

"I mean, sure, after training or so on, you, you know, you relax," the blond continued. "Cause you're tired. But maybe, I dunno, it's also because it feels so weird that... I mean... Maybe they're trying to fix that? I mean... Grah," He rubbed his head in frustration. "I don't really know how to put it into the right words either."

"No. But... I think I get it," the pink-haired ninja replied. She smiled. "And I think you're right."

Kakashi landed outside the doors and entered with a: "Alright, he's ready to see you all. You've been good?"

"Of course. What did you expect?" Naruto asked annoyed.

"For him to be eating his hat," their teacher replied immediately, pointing to the secretary.

"No way. This hat's my favourite fishing hat," the guy replied. "It'll take more than three genin to drive me to chow down on it."

"You say so, but you haven't had to sleep in a room next to them," the cyclopean ninja replied.

"Maybe if someone could go to the bathroom at night without tripping over our supplies," Sasuke noted annoyed.

"Hey, how about you put your bag away like a normal person, instead of just dropping it on the floor," Naruto shot back. "Or what, did you expect one of your fancy servants to come by and clean up?"

"That bag," Sasuke started annoyed. "Was out of the way for anyone who can open their eyes and put one foot in front of the other. Sage only knows how you got a good grade for physical exercise, because you're such a hopeless klutz."

"Please don't make me break your jaws," Sakura groaned into her hands, trying to ignore the part of her brain tempting her to rough them up, just to make a point.

"I do believe I stand corrected," Kakashi stated.

"Well, maybe chew on a table-leg or two," the secretary replied. "But not my hat."

"Alright, you three, let's go see the Hokage so I can split you up and gain some peace of mind," the jonin said, as he headed for the stairs.

The group made their way to the upper floors, Sasuke and Naruto shooting each other glares the entire way, only stopping when they entered the Hokage's office.

"Welcome home," the old man greeted them, pausing only to let them greet him in return. "Please, sit down. I hear it has been a trying mission."

"You can say that again," Naruto sighed, sinking into a chair. "That Zabuza fella was tough."

"Indeed. Of course, normally we'd never send genin like yourself up against a master of his craft like Zabuza Momochi," the Hokage continued. "The fact that you persevered and actually accomplished your mission is to your credit." He paused, removing his pipe from his mouth. "I of course do not approve of Tazuna's duplicity, though I understand that certain circumstances clouded his judgement, including a poor understanding of ninjas."

"Yeah, Sasuke even wanted to leave him at one point," Naruto noted, pointing to the Uchiha with his thumb.

"Protocol agrees with me," the raven-haired shinobi noted annoyed. He coughed, looking away. "Of course, it was probably for the best that Gato was not allowed to consolidate his hold on the island."

Hiruzen puffed contemplative. "The protocols is more of a guideline," he advised them. "First and foremost, we of the Hidden Leaf must be able to support any mission we take with our heart and soul. The Will of Fire is fed with dedication and integrity. Could any of you truly have abandoned that man to his fate?"

"Never," Naruto said without hesitation, folding his arms. "Not in a million years."

Sakura gave it some thought. "No. I don't think I could have forgiven myself."

Sasuke was quiet for a while. "In this particular instance, it probably was for the best," he finally admitted.

"In that case, you have done the right thing. I am proud of you all. You have shown yourselves to possess the Will of Fire," the Hokage noted. "And while I do expect to gather more details from the report, already Kakashi has remarked on the skills and experience you displayed." He paused, eyeing Naruto. "Of course, he also mentioned the seal."

"Is it dangerous?" the blond immediately asked.

"I will not lie to you. To be a jinchuuriki is to be both blessed and cursed," the old man continued. "Perhaps we should have gotten you a trainer for it sooner, but between you only recently becoming a ninja and Kakashi working on your teamwork, it was not prioritized. I am sorry for that."

"What? No, it's okay," the blond quickly said. "It's just, you know, when it happened, I almost killed Haku and... Well... I mean, I've heard the, uhm, stories, so... Yeah."

"Another concern, of course, was also that I do not wish for you to feel obligated in using these powers," Hiruzen continued. "The same reason you were not told of the tailed beast in the first place. It was decided that you should have as much say in this as possible and that required waiting until you were old enough to understand the responsibility."

"Ehm, if I may," Sakura began. "If it's that big a responsibility and you wanted Naruto to have a choice, why was the Fox sealed in him?"

"I must admit, I'm curious to know that too," Sasuke remarked, steepling his hands. "Surely you'd wish for something that potent and dangerous to be in the hands of a skilled and competent ninja. A high-ranking jonin preferably."

"Hey, I'm skilled and competent," the blond argued, causing the Uchiha scion to roll his eyes.

"You are pretty good, but... We're still genin," Sakura remarked. "And this must have been done around the time of the Fox' attack on the village, right? You can't have been more than a baby."

"I... Huh... Yeah," Naruto admitted. "That's probably right."

"In truth, sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto was an emergency decision made by Lord Fourth," Hiruzen remarked. "I can only imagine that if he had the choice, he'd have chosen a better candidate than Naruto. Unfortunately, the battle left him mortally wounded and the previous jinchuuriki dead. Naruto was the only living being in the vicinity in which to seal the beast."

"The previous jinchuuriki? That would be... Kushina, from what Kakashi said?" Sakura remarked.

"Indeed."

"Will that happen to me too?" Naruto asked nervously.

"No," the Hokage said with certainty. "What happened with Kushina was extraordinary. I'm afraid I cannot give you the full details, both due to secrecy concerns and our own lack of intelligence on it. Rest assured that, if you choose to train in how to harness the power of the sealed beast, it will not result in a repeat of that tragedy."

"Then... Hmm..." The blond folded his arms. "I'll think on it."

Sasuke stared at him, before sighing and shaking his head.

"Oh what now?" Naruto asked annoyed.

"You have one of the legendary Tailed Beasts locked inside you and you want to think about if you want to train in using its power?" he said incredulously. "Of course you should. The only reason we won against Haku was because you were lucky enough to use that power."

"I mean, sure, but..." Naruto paused, furrowing his brows. "It was weird. I didn't feel like myself when it happened. I don't know if I want to feel like that."

"Whatever. You be you, I guess," Sasuke exclaimed frustratedly, throwing his arms in the air.

"If you come to a decision on the matter, do not hesitate to come by. Should you decide to train as a jinchuuriki, I will start making arrangements as soon as possible," the Hokage noted. "Now, before you all run off to relax, there's your pay for this mission." With his hand, he pushed over three checks. "As per usual, you can exchange them for ryo bills downstairs, if you need to."

"Thanks," Naruto said eagerly, taking his pay. "I sure could use some woah woah WOAH!" He stared, mouth agape. "That's... Is this right?" he asked, holding it up and pointing to it. "That's way too many zeroes."

"Yeah, our last mission didn't pay anything like this," Sakura noted shocked.

Even Sasuke looked surprised at his check.

"That's because we pay you for the mission you completed, not what we _thought_ the mission would be," the Hokage noted. "In this case, protecting Tazuna from Zabuza and taking down Gato is clearly a rank A mission, and you've been paid accordingly."

"Pops has been wanting to get some new cooking pots," Naruto said excitedly. "I could buy him an entire new kitchen with this and still have enough money to buy a bowl of ramen for everybody."

"Now, you three have been on a hard mission and have had to make some tough choices," the Hokage noted, folding his hands. "All ninjas go through this sooner or later. I can see in your eyes how it has affected you. It is to be expected. So for the next week or so, forget about being ninjas. Go out and eat. Relax and hang out with some friends. It's just as important to take care of your mind and soul, as it is to take care of your body. Part of that is winding down after a mission. And trust me, it's a valuable skill to learn." He leaned back, adjusting his hat. "Many a shinobi has forgotten how live outside a mission. It kills the heart of a man to live like that. A most insidious poison. So take care of yourselves."

The three genin nodded.

"Then you're dismissed. Kakashi, I'd like to go over a few things with you about the mission," the Hokage noted, as the three left the office.

"Wow. I did not expect that at all," Naruto said with a grin, eyeing his pay. "I'm gonna sleep in tomorrow. What about you two?"

"I'll probably still help out in the bakery," Sakura noted. "Probably do some things with Ino afterwards." She stretched. "And definitely visit the hot springs soon."

"Hey, how about you drop by Ichiraku?" the blond asked. "You can try out our ramen."

"Maybe, but... Not today," the pink-haired girl noted. "What about you Sasuke?"

The raven-haired teen was quiet for a moment. "Putting off training for that long seems ridiculous," he stated.

"Seriously, do you ever do anything but train?" Naruto asked exasperated.

"The body of a shinobi must be maintained. Besides, some of us who have obligations to fulfil," the Uchiha scion replied annoyed, as they passed by the front desk. He was quiet for a moment. "Still, it is not untrue that the mind too must be maintained. I'll probably go for some walks around Konoha. I find that it helps me think."

Naruto's mouth became a thin line. "Don't you... Have any friends to hang with?"

Sasuke stared at his feet as they exited the building. "Used to."

The two others were quiet for a moment.

"Hey, uhm... If you wanna... You could drop by too... If you want to," Naruto offered.

"I'm not really in the mood for ramen," he replied, pausing a bit before adding: "But thanks for the offer."

The three split up, heading homewards in different directions.

It didn't take long for Naruto to find his way to Ichiraku, the smell of ramen hanging in the air as the evening customers filtered in. He headed for the back, opening the door while announcing: "Pops! Sis! I'm home!"

"Huh?" Iruka said, looking up from the book he was reading by the table, before breaking into a huge smile. "Welcome back, Naruto."

"Hey Iruka," the blond greeted excitedly while closing the door. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, you know, I decided to drop in tonight," the instructor replied nonchalant. "Teuchi did say I should."

"You liar," Ayame noted with a grin, as she exited the kitchen. "You've been by every evening for the last four days hoping Naruto would be coming home."

"Heh, missed me that much?" the blond cheekily noted, as Iruka tried to hush the brunette.

"I'll be right there," Teuchi called. "Just gotta serve these guys some tonkotsu first."

"You just say if you need a hand," Ayame called, before giving Naruto a hug. "And I've missed you too."

"Same, Sis," the blond replied, before letting go. "How have things been?"

"Oh, the usual, really," his sister replied, sitting down by the table. "But we are starting to prepare for the next Chuunin exam. It'll be held here in town this year after all." She paused. "Hey, Iruka, do you think Naruto's team is going up this year?"

"Doubtful," Iruka replied. "They've not even had a full year as genin."

"Aw. Oh well, it'll still be fun to see," the blond noted.

"Anyway, so Dad's hoping we can earn some extra money off all the people who're going to be coming to town," Ayame continued.

"It's needed too," Teuchi replied, coming out from the kitchen. "I've stirred some of these pots so much, the bottoms are right about ready to fall out." He rounded the table, wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulder. "How are you holding up my boy?"

"I'm fine, Dad," he replied with a grin. "And you won't have to wait until the Chuunin Exam." He fished his check out of his pocket. "I can just buy you some with this."

Teuchi took the payment and stared at it. "Six Paths, that's a lot of money. Are you sure?"

"Sounds only fair for thirteen years of living off our hard work," Ayame noted innocently, earning her a raspberry from Naruto.

Iruka furrowed his brows. "Teuchi, can I see that for a moment." He took the check, his eyes gliding over it. "That is a lot. But why would... A-RANK!" he exclaimed in shock. He immediately turned to the blond. "How did you end up being paid for an A-rank mission?"

Both Teuchi and Ayame looked at the genin with equal amounts of confusion and concern.

"Ehm... Well... You see, this here guy who hired us..." Naruto began, twiddling his thumbs. "Turns out he may have kinda... Fibbed about how dangerous it was. So it turns out that... Well... This guy named Gato wanted him dead."

"Gato? That name sounds familiar," Iruka noted.

"Gato Transportation," Teuchi suddenly said. "I know some of our food comes in packages with his stamp on it."

"Yeah, that's him," Naruto continued. "So turns out, Gato was a real nasty piece of work and had taken over the Land of Waves. And Tazuna was trying to build a bridge to help the land. So Gato... Well.. Uhm, he hired this guy... Ninja... Named..." He quickly said the name while coughing.

"What was that?" Iruka hesitantly asked, as if he somehow knew he didn't want to know.

"Oh... You know... Zabuza Momochi," the blond said, trying to sound relaxed about it.

"WHO?!" Iruka erupted.

"Didn't Guy mention that name at some point?" Ayame pondered. "He was talking with Kakashi. It was after the last Chuunin Exam I think."

"He's one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, elite shinobi of Kirigakure," Iruka explained in a drained voice. "How... Sage preserve us, how did you end up having Zabuza on your tail?"

"Oh, well, as I said... He was hired to kill Tazuna," Naruto explained. "So he ambushed us and then we... Fought." He coughed. "Twice."

The instructor looked dumbstruck.

"And then, you know, more stuff happened. We fought on the bridge, my seal broke, I beat his student Haku. Nice guy, by the way," Naruto continued.

"Your seal... Broke," Teuchi echoed.

"Apparently that... Just happens sooner or later," Naruto replied. "So we won and saved the Land of Waves. So, yeah. A-rank. Pretty cool, huh?"

Iruka buried his face in his hands.

"So now you've made an enemy of an international business magnate," Ayame remarked. "Well, you've certainly decided to go big."

"Oh, no. I mean, uhm..." Naruto coughed again. "Gato's dead."

Teuchi leaned against the wall with a sigh. "I'm reconsidering whether this ninja business was a good idea."

"If it helps, I can promise you, this isn't normal," Iruka said, looking up. "There's no way Naruto was ever supposed to go up against someone in Zabuza's class. Let alone twice."

"Hey, I did really well. The Hokage said so himself," Naruto insisted. His stomach growled loudly. "Oh, I'm hungry," he groaned. "Dad, can I buy some of our luxury ramen for dinner? I've really looked forward to that?"

"Buy? Didn't you earn a coupon not that long ago?" Ayame asked.

"I lost it," the blond admitted. "While saving Tazuna's grandson from some of Gato's thugs. Had to dive into a river to fish the kid out. I think that's when it got washed out of my pocket."

"You know what?" Teuchi said. "You stay right here, Naruto. You've earned as much ramen as you can eat." He headed for the kitchen. "And once you're done eating, I'll lock you up in the basement."

"Very funny, Dad," Naruto replied. "We don't even have a basement."

"I'll get digging right away. No more incidents," he insisted.

...

Sakura opened the door, letting the cool morning air wash over her.

"I'm sure Konoha won't burn down to the ground just because you decided to take a day off," her father said from inside the building.

"I know, but... I feel like getting some fresh air would help," she said. "See you both in a bit." She closed the door and began jogging. As was usual on this time of the day, the only ones out and about were ninjas on patrol and whomever needed to prepare for the day's work, such as her own parents. The peacefulness was part of what attracted her to it.

As she ran, she could hear the rhythmic sound of feet catching up to her. She was unsurprised to see Rock Lee matching her stride. "Hey, Lee," she greeted him.

"Greeting, Sakura. It is good to see you again," he replied. "You have been away for quite a while on a mission."

"Yeah. That was an ordeal," she sighed. "I'm just glad to be home."

"Indeed. Guy-Sensei has often said that while being on the road is healthy, so is having a good home to return to," Lee noted. "I hear that the mission turned out to be A-rank. You must have been skilled to overcome such a challenge."

"Honestly, I feel more lucky than anything else," the pink-haired ninja admitted.

"Guy-Sensei says that luck is something a ninja makes," the green-clad ninja replied. "I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe that your skills and abilities had nothing to do with your victory. Capitalizing on fortunate events is also an admirable talent and very valuable skill."

"I guess that's not untrue," she noted.

Lee was quiet for a moment. "Is something else bothering you, Sakura?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," she tried. "It's just... Some things happened."

"I am concerned for you well-being. If you do not wish to talk about it, I will respect your decision, but if you want someone to talk to, I am willing to listen," he insisted.

She slowed down and stopped, chewing on her lip, as Lee jogged in place, awaiting her response. "On the mission, I fought some people. During the fight, I managed to defeat them in a way that could easily have killed them. And for a moment, it felt... Good. And I'm... Not sure I want to feel good about hurting others. But to protect people... People like Inari... I had to. I had to hurt people. And it still felt good. I won't stop protecting people, but I don't know how to feel about it."

"Hmm, that is a tough one," Lee agreed, rubbing his chin. "I cannot truly know how you feel. But I am passionate about protecting my teammates and my village. These are the ideals I have inherited from Guy-Sensei. The burning flame of my heart drives me to protect others, and following that blazing will fills me with pride in myself. In that sense, I too feel good. But it not the hurting of others that makes me smile, but knowing that I have the strength and skill to defend that which is precious to me. That is the spirit of youth that Guy-Sensei has nurtured in me."

"And I am happy that I'm helping the others too. But... This was different," she said, folding her arms. "I beat them. I was better than them. It felt... Too good."

"Perhaps it is pride in your accomplishment you feel?" the green-clad shinobi suggested. "When I set a challenge before myself and manage to overcome it, my heart beats with joy and pride, for I have exceeded my limits and become stronger. Overcoming those opponents allowed you to push yourself beyond the limits you once had and you have become a greater ninja for it."

The pink-haired ninja was quiet for a moment. "Maybe," she quietly said. "I don't know, but... Maybe." She smiled softly. "Anyway, thanks. I'll think about what you and your teacher have said."

"I am always happy to help," he said, flashing a smile and giving her a thumbs-up. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll always be willing to listen."

"I'll keep that in mind. Ehm, how about we get back to jogging?" she noted, as she began moving again. "Kinda lost focus for a moment."

"It is okay. I have kept myself ready for this," Lee insisted as they moved on.

They finished the round, Sakura spending much of it in contemplative silence. They stopped by the bakery, as she said: "I'll stick with one round today. I am supposed to relax after all."

"Understandable," Lee said. "You have been through a harrowing trial. Even I let my body rest after such an excursion."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "How do you relax?"

"I cut down my rounds from five to three," he replied. "I limit myself to only forty-five minutes of taijutsu training. And no advanced training until after midday."

The pink-haired shinobi couldn't help but giggle. "You have a completely different idea of relaxing than most people," she admitted. "Anyway, I'll see you around."

"Likewise. I look forward to sharing the crisp morning air with you once again," he said, before running off.

She waved goodbye, before heading inside. The smell of sweets and baking bread filled the air. She breathed it in, feeling herself relax.

"Oh, Sakura," her mother said. "I know you're supposed to take the day off, but would you mind taking over the desk for a moment?"

"Not at all," she said, taking her place. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just have to quickly run off to confirm something about our supplies coming in," she said, putting on her shoes. "And your father's out by the oven finishing some bread. I'll be right back." And then she was out of the house.

Sakura folded her hands, idly scratching her ankle with her foot as she observed the store.

The hinges of the door creaked slightly, as the demure form of Hinata poked her head in. "Oh, Sakura. Hey."

"Good morning, Hinata," the pink-haired ninja replied. "What can I help with?"

"Oh, ehm, daifuku, if they are ready," she said.

"Sure. What kind?" Sakura asked, as she bent down to investigate the shelves.

"Do you have strawberry?" Hinata asked hopefully.

"Yeah, we do," she replied. "How many?"

"Four, please."

"Then here you go." She handed the food over, receiving a ryo bill in return.

"Thanks," the white-eyed ninja said. "We're going training with Kurenai-Sensei in the woods today, so I figured I'd get us all something nice for afterwards."

"Sounds like a good idea," Sakura agreed.

"By the way, I heard you three ended up on an A-ranked mission," Hinata continued concerned. "Are you all okay?"

"I mean... I guess," the pink-haired ninja replied, leaning against the desk. "Everything considered, we got out okay. Sasuke had to get bandaged up, but he'll recover."

"I'm glad to hear it." She paused, leaning back and forth on her feet, before carefully asking: "And... How's Naruto?"

"Oh, you know him. Nothing keeps him down for long," she commented. "Bounced right back before the day was even over."

"That's good to hear." She checked the clock on the wall. "Oh, I better get going. Have a nice day."

"You too, Hinata. Good luck with your training."

...

"We'll need two bowls of kimchi ramen," Naruto called from his position at the counter. "And a miso ramen with garlic."

"You got that, Dad?" Ayame loudly asked, as she doled out two bowls of piping hot ramen.

"Two kimchi, one miso with garlic. Got it," Teuchi announced back.

As usual, dinner-time attracted a host of ramen hungry citizens, a mixture of both commoners and ninjas, all gathering together to enjoy Ichiraku's tasty selection. Naruto helped by taking orders, while Ayame was busy delivering the ready food and occasionally assisting Teuchi with the cooking itself. It was while receiving an order for a classic tonkotsu that he eyed the flaps of cloth that separated the guests from the outside street, and saw a very-recognisable head full of pink hair make her way in.

"Looks kinda full," Ino noted, as she followed Sakura into the restaurant. "Think they have seats?"

"I hope so. I must admit Naruto made me kinda curious," the pink-haired shinobi remarked. "Ah, over there. Two seats."

"Lucky us."

The two of them sat down, only to immediately be greeted by Naruto. "Hey, Sakura. I see you decided to drop in."

"Well, we were on our way back from the hot spring," she explained. "And Ino suggested we should stop somewhere for some dinner. And I remembered what you said, so we decided to come by."

"I haven't been here before, but Choji does recommend it," her blonde companion noted.

"On that note, did Sasuke ever drop by?" Sakura asked. "I mean, you did invite him."

"No. I don't think he's going to," the blond said, crossing his arms. "I wonder what he's doing. Could he really spend all that time until our next mission training?"

"Well, when you got a body like his, it's worth maintaining," Ino noted, with a slightly hungry smile.

Naruto stared, his mouth a thin line.

"Oh, you invited Sasuke over?" Ayame asked. "That's so cute. So you're becoming best friends?"

"I don't think so. But... I dunno, it just sounded like he had nobody to spend time with. And... That just sounded sad."

"Well, it was nice of you to offer, at least," she noted. "Anyway, I'll let you go back to flirting. Dad needs me to get him some more mushrooms from storage."

"Wha... I'm-I'm not flirting," Naruto insisted, his cheeks flush with colour. He eyed Sakura for a moment, before shaking his head, trying to stop blushing. "An-anyway, what would you like to eat?"

Sakura blinked at the scene, as Ino giggled. "Ehm... Do you have a menu?"

"Oh, sure," Naruto said, handing over a folder. "There's all the broths we make and some of our most popular combinations. Ehm, you can always order something custom, of course."

"I see. Lots of options," Sakura noted. "Wow, you even list calories, salt and so on."

"Yeah. Dad says that since a lot of ninjas have specific diets, it helps them," Naruto noted.

"Yeesh, I'm not getting a tonkutsu. My thighs would just explode," Ino noted. "But I do like the look of the miso ramen with roasted vegetables. I'll have one of those."

"Luxury ramen? What does that mean?" Sakura asked.

"It's kinda the same as our normal ramen, but the ingredients are way better," Naruto explained. "And it costs more. I mean, Pops makes his own menma and the naruto cakes are imported from the east and not made with river fish."

"I can see why you'd want a coupon," Sakura noted. "It is pricey."

"But worth it," the blond noted with a grin. "Of course, all our ramen is good, so you don't need to buy any of those to get great food."

Ino rested her head on her hand with a cheeky smirk. "I see your dad has taught you how to reel in customers."

Naruto just replied with a chuckle while scratching the back of his head.

"Well, then I'd like a miso ramen with chicken and soft-boiled eggs," the pink-haired ninja stated, handing back the menu.

Not soon after, Naruto would proudly return with their orders. And Sakura had to admit, he was right. The food was good.

...

A couple more days passed as the genin enjoyed their temporary reprieve from work. But soon, once again they had to return to their daily routine.

And it was due to that, that the three genin found themselves standing by the gates of Konoha.

Naruto yawned. "I sure could have used a few more days off," he noted. "I was starting to get used to it."

"Then I'd say you could have used a few less days off," Sasuke commented. "A ninja who snoozes their day away is nothing but ready prey."

"Oh whatever," the blond responded. "I don't sleep that much." He looked around. "Wonder when Kakashi-Sensei will be here."

"Knowing him, he'll probably be late again," Sakura commented.

"Heh, maybe he likes to sleep in too," Naruto commented.

"I doubt that," Sasuke stated. "He wouldn't have become a jonin of his rank and reputation if he'd been as lazy as you."

"Hey, who're you calling lazy?!" Naruto called, pointing a finger accusingly.

The Uchiha scion glared back. "You. Obviously."

"I'm _not_ lazy."

"Really? How much training did you get in while we had days off?"

"Wha? Why would I be training when I have time off?"

"Exactly."

"That's not me being lazy. That's you being super obsessed and weird about it."

"I take my job as a shinobi seriously. If that's too much for you to handle, perhaps you should reconsider being a ninja."

Sakura groaned, images of smacking the gates of the city shut on their heads flashing in her mind. So it brought her great relief to see Kakashi drop down from a nearby rooftop. "Oh, Sensei, you're here."

Naruto and Sasuke immediately stopped arguing. "Huh, that was quicker than expected," the blond remarked.

"Yes. I was lost in the labyrinth of love, when I was rather suddenly notified that we had a mission lined up for us," Kakashi explained.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. "Labyrinth of love?"

"So we'll have to postpone the training I had planned for today," the cyclopean jonin continued. "A new C-rank mission awaits."

"C-rank? Already?" Sakura commented surprised. "I would have expected a least a couple of D-rank missions before that."

"Well, I guess I could tell the Hokage that it's too much for you to handle and see if there's any dogs that need walking," Kakashi pondered, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

"Don't" Sasuke commented dourly. "We will handle this mission."

"Still, it is weird," the pink-haired ninja continued.

"Well, I did request that if any missions of this nature popped up, that they be assigned to us," Kakashi noted. "Sabiru did comment on how lucky we were that it popped up so soon, but I admit it is on short notice. We'll be on the road for roughly a couple of weeks, perhaps more depending on things. You have thirty minutes to repack and say your goodbyes before we'll be meeting here at the gates. Bring gear that will assist in a search-and-rescue mission."

"Search-and-rescue?" Naruto asked excited. "That sounds awesome."

"I dunno. Not after what happened last time," Sakura remarked. "But if that is our mission, then so be it."

"Yes. I'll be taking my leave now, as I have my own things to pick up before we go." And then he leapt up on a rooftop and began leaving.

The three genin looked as he rapidly disappeared across the city's rooftops.

"So... What's the labyrinth of love?" Naruto wondered.

"Who even knows with that guy," Sasuke commented, shaking his head.

...

A little over half an hour later, the group was moving northwards, following the meandering trodden paths of the countryside. The weather was pleasant, a few woolly tufts of cloud drifting across the otherwise azure skies.

"So... Search-and-rescue?" Naruto began. "Exciting."

"Very," Kakashi agreed.

The blond chewed a bit on his lip. "And we'll be gone for weeks? Must be quite something."

"Indeed."

"Yep. Sure must be something special."

"It is."

"Naraka," Sasuke swore in frustration. "Sensei, what is the mission? It's obvious that's what he's fishing for and I'll lose it if I have to listen to any more of him trying to be subtle."

"Hey, a ninja has to be discrete," Naruto insisted.

"You're as discrete as a blazing housefire."

"Oh, you wanted to know about the mission?" the cyclopean ninja stated innocently. "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

"I did," the blond insisted. "You said you'd tell us later. Thrice."

"Well, I suppose now is later," Kakashi remarked. "We're headed north to the Land of Rice."

"Land of Rice? Pops buys a lot of, well, uhm, rice from there," Naruto noted.

"So does our shop," Sakura commented.

"Yes. The country is a pretty important breadbasket," Kakashi continued. "Conditions are ideal to produce a lot of quality rice, so the land earns a lot of money that way. Has no ninja village of their own though. I know there are a few clans there with ninja training, but nothing like Konohagakure. For this reason, Inaho Village sent a runner to us. One of the people living there, a man named Genmai, recently vanished in the surrounding countryside. Bandits have been known to lurk in the area, alongside wild animals. No ransom has been demanded, but that does not mean he's merely lost. So they requested we assist in locating him."

"Alright. Then let's go to the Land of Rice and save Genmai," Naruto declared with exuberance.

"That's what we're already doing, you twit," Sasuke groaned. "We've been on our way to do that ever since we left the village."

"Well, at least I'm trying to keep morale high," Naruto insisted.

"Keep morale...? Why would... Ugh, never mind," the Uchiha scion commented dourly. "I am not even going to bother."

"Heh, point goes to me," Naruto continued with a wide grin, lacing his fingers behind his head.

Sasuke glared at him, as if trying to will him to spontaneously combust.

"I know what would help on my morale," Kakashi dryly commented. "Silence."

"That makes two of us, Sensei," Sakura groaned. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, we know what our objective is, so we'll get started as soon as we arrive," he explained. "That is, as soon as we enter the general area where he disappeared from, we will starts combing through the wilderness. In a situation like this, speed is of the essence. Even if neither wild animals nor bandits have harmed him, exposure to the elements can reduce his chances of survival. Fortunately, the climate in the area is gentle for the most part, but we cannot afford to dally."

"Will we be splitting up?" Sakura asked.

"Unlikely, but not impossible," Kakashi noted. "It depends on terrain. If I feel I can keep an eye on you, then I'll be open for allowing you to roam farther from my position."

"Hey, we don't need you to babysit us, Sensei," Naruto argued.

"What, because you defeated Zabuza?" the cyclopean shinobi asked. "You're still genin. That hasn't changed. And the area can still be dangerous. I am responsible for you."

"Of course," Naruto sighed. "I get it." He paused. "Sooo... Are you gonna have us participate in the Chuunin exam?"

"_What!?_" Sakura exclaimed, looking at him with disbelief. "Are you nuts? There's no way we're ready for that. Or will be when it starts."

Sasuke held his chin with a look of contemplation. "It would be an excellent test of our skills."

"What? I mean... Yes," Sakura tried. "But the Chuunin Exam is dangerous. People die. We might have managed against Zabuza and his team, but let's not overestimate ourselves." She paused. "I mean, I know I'm not sure I could handle it just yet."

Naruto looked at her. "Hey, it's okay," he said. "I was just asking, that's all. I mean, I'll most likely be helping Pops and Sis with the ramen shop anyway. The Chuunin Exam is good for business."

"True. We'll probably be busy too," Sakura agreed.

Sasuke paused. "True. We might have to wait until next year. Especially as it is a team-oriented exercise."

Kakashi didn't chime in, his singular gaze locked on the horizon.

...

Days passed, as the group ventured northwards. Gradually, the landscape started to become steeper, with the group finding themselves going uphill more often than not. They were only temporarily halted at the border, where a checkpoint had been erected by the Land of Fire along the only major road crossing the border, so that Kakashi could show his papers before they moved on. Dense forest began surrounding them, the towering trees blocking out most of the sunlight.

"Alright," Kakashi noted, studying the map. "We're close enough to Inaho Village that we can start searching." He kneeled down, spreading the map on a large boulder so that the three genin could see. "We'll start with this forest. Divide it up into grids and search them one at a time." He looked up. "Visibility is low, so I want the three of you to stay close. No running off unless it's an emergency."

"So what does this guy even look like?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. His village did not provide a sketch or photograph, so we only have their description," the silver-haired jonin explained. "Middle-aged rice farmer. Black hair."

Suddenly, the sound of screaming cut through the woodland silence.

"Somebody's yelling," Naruto noted.

"Yeah, sounds like they are in trouble," Sakura remarked. "Sensei, what do we do?"

"You three stay here," Kakashi ordered, before setting off with a leap. He almost flew through the treetops, his feet easily finding branches for him to move across with such practised ease that the man himself didn't even notice. He paused, scouting the mossy ground, where two shapes stormed through the thicket. One was a man, middle-aged and with black hair. His pursuer was a rabid wolf.

The man fell over a log, landing on the ground. He turned around, holding up an arm in blind panic as the wolf closed in.

"COVER YOUR FACE!" Kakashi yelled, as he threw a bomb. The projectile landed between predator and prey, before exploding in a dense, stinking cloud. The lupine hunter coughed as the smell overwhelmed its senses, before in turned around and ran.

The man carefully peaked out from behind his sleeve to notice that he was safe.

"You okay?" Kakashi asked, as he landed beside him.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," he said, slowly getting up. "Thanks. A little later and I'd been wolf chow."

The jonin tilted his head. "By any chance, are you Genmai of Inaho Village?"

"I am."

"Huh. Convenient," the cyclopean ninja remarked. "I am Kakashi Hatake, ninja of Konohagakure. Your village hired me and my team to track you after you vanished. What happened to you?"

"I... Don't actually know," Genmai admitted. "I remember being out looking for mushrooms. And then... I think... I think there was... Somebody." He frowned. "Was I somewhere?"

"Okay. So how did you end up chased by a wolf?" Kakashi inquired.

"I... Huh. I remember... Someone... Told me to run." Genmai looked to be struggling to remember. "I'm... I'm sorry, it's all very fuzzy."

"I see. That does make this very concerning." Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Any unexplainable aches or pains? Or does something feel off?"

"Well, my skin feels kinda itchy now that you ask," the guy replied.

Kakashi nodded and took the farmer's hand to take a closer look.

Immediately, an intricate pattern lit up with a blue light across his entire body.

"Wha... WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Genmai yelled in fear, as the glow intensified into a blinding flare.

"A trap," Kakashi managed, before the light engulfed him.

Even from a distance, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke noticed the rays of light piercing through the dense foliage.

"KAKASHI!" Naruto yelled, jumping up from the rock he had been sitting on.

"Wait, should... Should we go?" Sakura asked, looking to Sasuke.

"He did say wait... Except in an emergency," the Uchiha scion noted. "This might just be one."

"What are we waiting for then, let's go," Naruto said, gesturing with his arm. "Kakashi-Sensei might be in danger. We..." He paused. He could almost feel his ears twitch, trying to catch a barely audible sound, while his nose caught the briefest hint of fish on the wind.

"What...?" Sakura began, only to be pushed aside by Sasuke, just as several powerful blasts of water slammed into the ground where they had been with enough force to break it apart.

"Well done," a playful voice noted. "And here I thought this game would be over before it could begin."

Naruto turned towards the direction of the noise, drawing his kunai. "COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Well, I suppose it's only fair you get to see us. After all, we've been keeping an eye on you ever since you arrived." On a thick branch above, three figures faded into view. The one who had spoken was clad in white cloth with a fish-scale design, a hood resembling the head of a shark on his head. Purple clan-markings underscored his emerald eyes and strapped to his back was an o-wakizashi.

On his left was a much larger and muscular man, most of his features obscured by his teal clothes, which also featured a fish-scale design. His hood similarly emulated the head of his shark, but wrapped around his head so completely that only his eyes peaked out. Mounted to his back was a broad-bladed dai-shuriken.

The last of the three was a woman, wearing purple fish-scale clothes. She was tall and lithe, her wild brown hair barely kept under control by a headband featuring the dark eyes and toothy grin of a shark. Two massive metal kamas were secured to her back.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"Just a little group called the Sharks," the man said, gesturing with his arms to present himself and his companions. "So happy to meet you."

"Figures," Sasuke muttered. "What do you want?"

"To play a little game," the man replied with a grin. "You can think of it like a game of tag. Of course..." He drew his blade and held it up, letting a ray of light reflect on its surface. "It'll be a lot more painful than just getting tagged if you're not quick enough."

"Oh yeah? Bring it on then," Naruto challenged.

"Wait. What about Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura said.

"Oh, right!" the blond exclaimed.

"There's three of them. It might not be impossible to hold them off while one of us go get Kakashi," Sasuke noted.

"But what about that light? If that was some sort of trap, it might not be as easy as just walking over there and coming back with him," Sakura pointed out.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about your sensei," the Sharks leader noted. "Our employer ensured that he would not interfere. He should be safe, but trust me, he won't come and save you. Now then." His companions drew their weapons. "Ready to play?"

"If I say no, do we get a break first?" Naruto asked, causing Sasuke to sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint. The game starts _NOW!" _the leader of the three declared, as they leapt from their perch.

Naruto was immediately beset by the woman, who wasted no time swinging her iron sickles at him. He went on the defensive, trying to dodge her powerful strikes. He knew trying to guard himself with his kunai would be a mistake. She would easily be able to use her weapons' hooked blades to get around his guard, potentially maiming his wrists in the process. And her reach was much greater. Instead, he began stepping back, looking for an opening.

Sakura was in a similar predicament. The massive assailant wielded his dai-shuriken in close combat, swinging its massive weight around with frightening ease, carving through anything nearby. It also meant the guy created a zone of potential harm around himself, denying the pink-haired shinobi an easy approach that would allow her to bring either her kunai or her martial arts into play.

Sasuke found his opponent, the enemy team's leader, much more manageable. In the sense that he was able to stay within a range where it was hypothetically possible that he could inflict a wound or two. But the leader of the Sharks quickly showed himself to be a master with his weapon, deflecting any attack the Uchiha scion made, before lashing out with precise strikes that Sasuke found himself hard pressed to dodge. The raven-haired ninja jumped back to give himself some space, before focusing his chakra into himself. He breathed out, unleashing a wall of flame.

The man countered with a jutsu of his own, condensing the humidity in the air into a ball, before launching it into the incoming attack, extinguishing it.

Sasuke frowned, holding his kunai ready as his opponent approached again.

Naruto backed up again, feeling the rough bark of a tree press against his back. The woman charged, winding up for a potent strike. The blond ninja concentrated and leapt upwards, the kama slamming into the tree where he had just been. He felt his chakra unsteadily bind him to the tree, barely preventing gravity from dragging him back down again. The woman looked up, frowning, before ripping her weapon loose. She stepped forward, following him upwards, ready to take another swipe.

Naruto kept backing up, kunai raised, as the two went further and further up the the trunk. He smirked, then broke the chakra connection.

The woman blinked as her opponent suddenly dove towards her. She crossed her weapons in front of her to block his sudden offence.

The blond ninja crashed into her. Seeing an opportunity, Naruto raised his weapon to attack.

The woman let her own chakra fade, sending them both tumbling to the mossy ground below.

He rolled, trying to absorb the blow, before quickly getting back up. He saw the woman for but a moment, before she faded into nothing.

Sakura dodged another swing of her opponent's dai-shuriken. He stepped closer, trying to get her within range of his lethal swipes. The pink-haired ninja noted a tree by her side and ducked behind it.

The assailant paused, then saw a pink-haired figure emerge from the left. He once again swung his massive weapon, only to realise that what he had seen was a mere phantasm, further confirmed by the real Sakura using the opportunity to come in from the other side with a vicious kick that sent him stumbling backwards. He held his armament up like a shield, as Sakura continued with her relentless assault. With her suddenly being so close, he didn't have enough space to attack. He narrowed his eyes and leapt backwards, fading into nothing as he did.

Sasuke and the leader of the group circled each other, both of them scrutinizing the other for an exploitable weakness. The Uchiha scion tried to figure out how to approach the situation. His opponent had the upper hand in close combat and could counter his fire blast. He needed to figure out a new way to approach the situation. His fire jutsu was his best option for countering the guy's superior close combat techniques, but by the time he had finished creating the blast, the guy was ready to put it out.

He began taking another deep breath.

The Sharks leader prepared to counter it.

But Sasuke launched the jutsu before having fully formed a complete fireball, instead spitting out a rapid series of smaller blazing projectiles, catching the assailant off guard.

He evaded one of the shots, managed to extinguish a second with what water he had collected, while a third singed his coat.

By then Sasuke had already charged in, swinging his kunai at what seemed to be a vulnerable moment for his opponent.

The guy's blade came up at the last moment, deflecting the blow.

"Clever one, aren't ya?" he said, stepping back. "Seems like we'll have to up our game." And with those words, he faded from sight.

"Naraka," Sasuke cursed under his breath. He paused, trying to pay attention to anything that would clue him in on his opponent's location. He heard a rustling of leaves and turned around, weapon at the ready. He paused, noting that it was Sakura approaching. They both halted, eyeing each other with slight suspicion, before deciding that they both were whom they looked like. "What happened?" the raven-haired ninja inquired.

"I managed to fend him off," she replied. "But then he vanished."

"Their leader vanished too." Sasuke looked around at the surrounding trees. "But I don't think they've gone far."

"Hey, you're both okay," Naruto said as he walked up to them, trying to pick small sticks out of his hair. "So that woman just kinda vanished. And I almost had her too."

Sakura looked around. "What do they want from us? They mentioned an employer, so they are probably mercenaries of some sort. But I have no clue why they'd target us."

"Maybe it's something about that guy we were looking for," Naruto suggested. "What was his name?"

"Genmai," Sasuke replied. "I doubt it. He's just a rice farmer. But who knows. It's certainly possible that..." He paused, staring at Naruto, who had suddenly stiffened, as if straining. He looked around. "Where?"

"I'm... Not sure," the blond said, looking around. "But I definitely heard something."

"You have rather impressive hearing," Sakura noted, as the three turned around, standing back to back. "So they are still here. Stay on guard. They might attack at any moment."

"I don't much care for waiting for them to come to us. But their camouflage jutsu is rather troublesome," Sasuke remarked. "Any idea for how we could detect them before they attack us?"

"I'm thinking. Maybe if we could create some sort of distraction," Sakura mumbled. "Some tools we could use?"

"I've brought some metal wire. Would that help?"

"It's not a bad idea. Unfortunately, they'd easily be able to see us setting it up. Maybe if we laid down some smoke bombs to hide it, but then they might just stay their distance."

"Yeah. The forest is big enough."

"Wait, wait!" Naruto exclaimed. "I know what to do."

"You do?" Sasuke asked sceptically.

The blond folded his fingers while intently focusing, chakra pumping into his body. And then suddenly, he had taken the form of an adult and quite naked woman. "Juhuu!" she called, as she posed and showed off. "Get a load of this."

Sasuke and Sakura stared in disbelief.

And then there was a loud crash up above, getting their attention.

The masked ninja faded into view, holding his face after having run straight into a thick branch. "Oof. Ough," he groaned. "My nose. I think it's broken."

"Really? Really, Iwana?" the woman asked annoyed, as she and their leader faded back into view, the latter steadying himself against a tree to avoid tumbling down from sheer laughter. "That's what gets you?"

"Give me a break, Yamame," he replied, voice muffled by cloth and hand. "I was not prepared for that, okay. And stop laughing, Kajika, this really hurts."

"I can't believe that worked," Sakura commented, as Naruto returned to his original form.

"I don't _want _to believe that worked," Sasuke groaned.

"Okay... Okay, that... Well played," Kajika managed through the laughter. "Wow, that was... I did not see that coming. You three are better than I thought."

"So, ready to throw down again?" Naruto asked, drawing his blade. "Or are you going to run and hide?"

"Ah, well, no, hiding did not go so well for us," the Sharks' leader noted, eyeing his comrade.

"Seriously, you've seen tits before," Yamame exclaimed incredulously. "I can't believe you'd let that ruin a perfectly set up sneak attack."

"Look, I get it, okay," the man mumbled. "I was just surprised is all."

"Yes. Well, I think you three have earned that break you wanted," Kajika noted with a grin. "So when you're ready, we'll meet you in the cave behind the waterfall, straight west from here."

"And why should we wander into what's obviously a trap?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, if you don't, I can't guarantee your poor sensei will make it out of here," he said with a shrug. "Since you need me to break the trap he's in and so on. But in the end, that's your choice I suppose. See you around. Or maybe not. Who knows?" And then the three of them left, leaping through the treetops.

"COME BACK HERE!" Naruto yelled, getting ready to pursue, but Sakura stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, saying: "Wait. We need to see what happened to Kakashi."

The blond paused. "Yeah, you're right."

The three headed in the direction from which they had seen the light, only to come upon a gently glowing globe the size of a small house.

"A seal of some sort," Sasuke noted. "Kakashi must be trapped inside."

"Can he get out?" Naruto asked concerned.

"Dunno. It looks advanced though," the Uchiha scion remarked, stepping a little closer. "He might not even be aware of anything happening."

"It must be advanced to be able to ensnare Kakashi like that," Sakura remarked. "We should head back to Konoha and get another jonin to help him out."

"But what if those three kidnap or kill him while he's like this?" Naruto asked. "We can't just leave him."

"Protocol would suggest that we avoid confronting those three and instead do as Sakura suggests," Sasuke remarked.

"What, you're just gonna abandon him?" Naruto challenged.

The raven-haired shinobi was quiet for a moment. "I didn't say that."

"I couldn't leave him either," Sakura remarked. She rubbed a hand over her face, frustratedly asking: "Ugh, why does this happen to us? We're not equipped to deal with all these people."

"Then we adapt," Sasuke remarked. "That's what ninjas do. The lair they mentioned might just have information we can use to break Kakashi free."

"Right. And if we can get that without having to deal with those three, so much the better," the pink-haired shinobi agreed. "Of course, that part won't be easy. They'll see us coming for sure."

...

It didn't take the trio long to find the waterfall, a beautiful sight in the dense forest. And true to what Kajika had said, a tunnel was hidden behind the water.

"You know, I remember that often in Jiraya's stories, the bad guy would have a lair hidden behind a waterfall," Naruto quietly mentioned, as the trio snuck in.

"I didn't know it was such a popular venue," Sakura replied, as they slowly made their way down the damp tunnel. "Then again, Takigakure is an entire ninja village hidden behind one, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

They moved slowly, vary of the water that pooled on the stone floor, as they sought to advance without making too much noise. Fortunately, the roar of the waterfall helped mask their intrusion. The only light was what little sunlight could make it through the curtain of falling water, a light that steadily dimmed as they went in deeper and deeper. They slowed their pace, vary of alerting their enemy by turning on a light or making noise by stumbling in the dark.

"Wait," Sasuke said, squinting. "I see light up ahead."

"Then we should be extra careful," Sakura remarked. "That is probably their camp."

They advanced slowly, as the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern, most of it dominated by an equally massive underground lake. A few torches had been set up, their flickering flames reflecting in the still water of the deep reservoir. A few stony islands snaked through, leading up to a massive rock formation in the middle, parts of it carved away to make for several open rocky terraces.

"Well... This is cool," Naruto noted under his breath, while looking around. "No sight of those three though."

"Doesn't mean they aren't here," Sakura commented. "They're probably hiding, waiting for us to show. If we're to search this place, then we need a distraction." She paused, then looked to Naruto. "Do you think you could summon three clones and disguise them as us?"

"Ehm, I can try," the blond replied, folding his hands. "Why?"

"Because then we'll send them in. While the Sharks are preoccupied, we can infiltrate the cave." She sighed, folding her arms. "And then we'll just have to wait and see. I have no clue what in here could possibly be linked to the seal. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out."

Naruto focused. There was a puff of smoke, as chakra and air condensed into three identical clones. "Alright, ugm, you try to look like Sakura and, ehm, I guess you can be Sasuke."

"Can't he be Sasuke instead?" the clone asked, gesturing to the third clone.

"What? No way, I'd rather be Sakura," the third one said.

"I mean, I don't really care either way," the first clone remarked.

"Sage preserve us, could you just do this one thing right," Sasuke groaned into his hands. "We don't have time for your circus routine, so just do your job before those three notice us."

"Alright, alright, don't have to be such a grump about it," the third clone remarked, rolling his eyes. He and the first clone folded their hands, moments after taking on the shapes of Sakura and Sasuke respectively. Or at least, an approximation. None of the colours were just right and their features were off just enough to be kinda uncanny.

"Maybe... They won't notice," Sakura suggested, though she didn't sound like she believed it was a possibility.

"I doubt this would fool them long enough for us to accomplish anything," Sasuke remarked.

"Come on, give us a break," the original Naruto said annoyed. "We haven't actually tried to take on your forms before."

"Well, definitely something we should work on," Sakura noted. "Could come in handy in the future." She paused contemplatively. "I could maybe augment the clones with my illusions. You know, mask up the flaws a bit. But then I'll have to stay here and concentrate while the two of you sneak in."

"Then that's our best bet," Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded and concentrated, her chakra condensing around the two clones, their appearance now reflecting the originals much better. "Alright, now go."

The three duplicates nodded and marched into the cave. Sasuke and Naruto waited for a bit, before snaking off to the side, walking along the dark, rocky cliff-side.

The three clones continued towards the middle, eyes on the rocky platform. Stony stairs had been cut into it, allowing them to ascend.

"Well, well, well," Kajika said, as the trio of fakes stepped up on the platform. He was sitting on a boulder, gently sharpening his blade. "Almost didn't expect to see you. You must really like your teacher."

"So what happens now?" the clone disguised as Sakura asked. "We fight?"

"I suppose that yes, that's where this is going," the Sharks leader remarked casually.

The clone disguised as Sasuke looked around. "Where's your two buddies?"

"Oh, they're around. I wouldn't worry about them right now." He rose from his position and walked closer, still inspecting his blade. "You know, it's quite funny. About shadow clones, that is."

The undisguised Naruto clone's eyes widened. "What...?"

Momentarily thrown off guard, he was also unprepared from the sudden and swift movement that left Kajika's o-wakizashi hilted in his chest. He and the two other clones stared at the wound, then up at Kajika.

The mercenary's eyes had turned solid black, staring into the clone's eyes. "They lack a certain... Something," he continued, before retracting his weapon, leaving the dying clone to fall to the ground.

On the wall, the real Naruto and Sasuke stared.

"Naraka. He saw right through them," the Uchiha scion cursed.

The blond shivered and rubbed his chest. "Oh man. That's an... Unpleasant memory to get. I actually feel..." He paused, registering the faint sound of boot scraping against stone. He glanced in the direction.

Sasuke followed his gaze and swiftly whirled around, unleashing a blast of flames from his mouth. Yamame dodged out of the way, her disguise breaking as she scampered across the cliff to avoid the blaze.

Back in the tunnel, Sakura was still channelling the illusion. Behind her, the air shimmered, as Iwana manifested. He lifted his massive weapon and brought it down with a swift movement. Only for the Sakura he had intended to hit to fade away. He blinked, as part of the tunnel wall to his left changed colour, as the real one lunged forward, her knuckles colliding with the mercenary's head, sending him stumbling back.

"Dammit, woman," he groaned in agony, holding up his dai-shuriken to block a follow-up strike. "My nose had just stopped bleeding."

"Then I'll give you something else to focus one," she replied, trying to get into position to get another attack in.

Back on the stone platform, Kajika's eyes shifted back to normal, as the remaining two Naruto clones regained their original forms and attacked with their kunai.

The Sharks' leader diverted one blow with his blade and kicked the clone away, before redirecting his attention to the other trying to shank him in the back. He danced out of the way of a stab, bringing down his sword as he did, separating the clone from both his weapon and right hand. The doppelgänger stumbled back in shock, before Kajika decapitated him with with a swift strike.

Back on the wall, Yamame rushed up the cliff-side, her weapons ready to tear into the two.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Naruto said confidently. "I have a plan. I'll juavahah," he sudden gulped, clasping his throat.

Sasuke paused, briefly unsure whether the weird sounds were somehow part of some inscrutable plan, before pulling his blond companion out of the way as their opponent brought her kama down, hammering them into the rocky cliff.

"Would you wake up already?" Sasuke hissed, as Naruto unsteadily tried to maintain the bonds of chakra that kept him glued to the wall. "What's wrong with you?"

"Hey, I just learnt how it feels to get decapitated," he replied defensively. "It really sucks, okaouargh!" The blond arced his back, his face twisting into a pained grimace.

Sasuke eyed the stone platform, where Kajika withdrew his blade from the final clone's spine. Then he returned his gaze to the approaching Yamame. "Terrific." He took a deep breath and spat several smaller fireballs at the approaching woman, who awkwardly began dodging up and down the cliff face. She leapt upwards to evade one attack, but the moment she landed, she stumbled, as a sharp and sudden pain hit her. She looked down, eyeing the two shurikens that had dug into the flesh of her shin. Sasuke had used his blazing projectiles to cover for a second offensive, one she had missed. Already unsteady from having had to dodge the attack, the combination of pain and the weight of her weapons threatened to send her tumbling down the cliff, forcing her to focus in order to maintain her chakra.

And it was this distraction the Uchiha scion had counted on. He rushed forward while she was off-balance, launching a spinning kick, which collided with the side of her head.

It was too much. Yamame lost focus completely, her whole world spinning as gravity took hold, before she with a splash landed in the waters below, disappearing into the dark depths.

Iwana, meanwhile, found himself on the defensive, as Sakura refused to let him have the chance to gain the space necessary to swing his weapon or the time to reapply his camouflage. All he could do was hold up his weapon as a shield and fend off her blows. Fortunately for him, the pink-haired shinobi didn't have the means to get through his dai-shuriken and the limited space also made it hard for her to get around it, now that she had spent the element of surprise.

Sakura for her part darted from side to side, trying to find an opening that would let her get around the weapon. She occasionally had to step back to avoid the mercenary's swings, but lacking space, they were nowhere near as deadly or as far-reaching as when they had fought in the forest. Still, they were now at a stalemate. She mostly kept dashing from back and forth to keep Iwana guessing, in an attempt to at least delay potential counter-attacks. She briefly considered trying to push him back towards the waterfall, but the tunnel was long and she was unsure about leaving her friends behind for too long. But as she observed her opponent, she realised that his attempts at shielding himself left him with an exploitable vulnerability.

She paused and concentrated, only to seemingly split into three as she charged him again.

"Great, more illusions," the mercenary noted annoyed, stepping back and holding his dai-shuriken up. "Don't think that'll get you around me." He held the weapon steadily, trying to position himself so he could react once he figured which one was the real one.

The answer came in the form of a clenched fist crashing into his face. He stumbled back with a yowl of agony as blood exploded from his nose.

Sakura had punched straight through the dai-shuriken, through the hole in the middle that was normally used for a stable grip or mounting it. It was small enough that it would have been difficult to strike through while he was moving about, but her illusions kept him still long enough for her to launch a precise strike. Capitalizing on her opponent's flaring agony, she sidestepped the weapon he was still defensively trying to hold up, launching a kick at the back of his left knee, collapsing his leg. He stumbled, as she slammed him in the face again with a right hook, then grabbed him, allowing her to force her knee into his stomach, before sending him crashing into the rocky wall with another punch. The massive shuriken felt to the floor with a echoing clatter, as Iwana tried to stabilize himself against the wall, before sliding coughing to the floor.

"And stay down," the pink-haired shinobi warned him, before adjusting her hair. She felt a brief surge of satisfaction and joy, seeing him crumbled like that before her, but it quickly drowned in a wave of disgust. She felt her stomach somersault and found herself also leaning against the wall as her insides revolted. She tried to focus. Her friends were in danger. She could feel terrible later. The nausea subsided. She swallowed. And then forced herself to hurry back towards the main cave.

She entered, just as Sasuke managed to help Naruto down on a out-jutting rock, wearing a look of annoyance. "Hey! Are you two okay!?" she called.

"Barely. Had this idiot almost faint on me," the raven-haired ninja replied.

"Hey, you try dying thrice in a row, then you can come back and tell me to take it like a champ," Naruto shot back as he steadied himself.

"Whatever." Sasuke turned his focus to Kajika, who was observing them. "Now there's just you."

"Yes. I must admit, quite the impressive performance." He paused, his smile fading a bit. "And my dear friend, Iwana? I must presume you defeated him. Does he still live?"

Sakura paused. "Yes," she finally said.

"Ah, excellent," the Shark's leader said with a hint of relief. "I'll have to fish Yamame up too at some point. Would have been quite the grisly end to our game if they had to give up their lives for it."

"Why are you doing this?" Sakura inquired. "You keep calling this a game. Why?"

"Oh, well, I can't quite give you all the details. At least, not yet." He smirked. "As I said, I have an employer. One who has an... Interest in people with potential. Perhaps if you win the game, I'll give you a little more than that." He held up his blade. "For now, this game must come to an end. You have done far better than I imagined. But I'm not going to give up quite yet."

"Hah. We'll beat you too," Naruto said, raising his kunai. "And then you'll have to free our sensei."

"Oh. Well, I'd love too, but..." He shrugged. "I can't."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I can't. I literally have no idea how that seal works. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't crack it. That's one of my employer's little tricks."

"What!?" Naruto exclaimed. "But you said you'd free him if we followed."

"Well, I lied. Just my way to ensure you'd follow."

Sakura sighed, muttering under her breath: "Should have stuck to protocol."

"Now then." Kajika leapt forward, blade ready as he sailed through the air towards Sasuke and Naruto. "LET'S PLAY!"

He landed between them, lashing out with his blade against the Uchiha scion while kicking out against the blond.

Sasuke barely managed to deflect the blow with his kunai, rapidly stepping back to get space, but the Sharks' leader pursued, attacking with quick successions of swipes. The raven-haired shinobi found himself nearly overwhelmed. His opponent was way faster and way more precise than when he had first fought him. He realised with some frustration that the mercenary had held back, probably as part of the game he was playing. He dodged back from another swipe, only to realise he had forgotten about the terrain, as he stepped over the edge, his foot sliding down the rocky side. Which was not helped by Kajika socking him in the chin with a solid blow from his off hand, sending Sasuke tumbling down the rock and into the cold water with a splash. His body throbbed from the numerous bruises he'd earned on the way down, as he struggled to reorient himself.

Naruto got back up with a scowl, as Sakura landed beside him. The two attacked at once, trying to outflank the Sharks leader. The blond tried to stab him in the side with his kunai, but found his strike parried, before being forced on the defensive. He tried to remember what his clones had seen before they had been killed, hoping to use it to prevent himself from sharing their fate.

Meanwhile, Sakura dashed in, aiming to use Kajika's offensive against Naruto against him. She launched a blow against his kidney, but the swordsman spun out of the way, bringing his blade down as he did. The pink-haired shinobi jerked her arm away to avoid losing it, but wasn't quite fast enough, retracting her limb with a painfully throbbing flesh wound.

Naruto then tried to strike him in the back, but Kajika swirled around, lashing out with his weapon as he did. The blond had to pull back, bending himself to avoid the blow, but even then, the only thing preventing him from being gutted on the spot was his combat vest absorbing most of the strike, instead leaving him with a painful but survivable cut across his stomach.

Sasuke leapt out of the water, as his two allies pulled back, his eyes aflame with the red glow of the sharingan. He landed and dashed forward.

"Ah yes, the sharingan," Kajika noted. "I'm so happy to see that I can push you to use it. That was on the to-do list."

"Just shut up already," Sasuke replied, as he launched into an attack. He was unsurprised that the mercenary leader managed to parry and dodge his blows. But he could read his opponent's attacks much better, allowing him to stay his ground and thus stay engaged.

Sakura surveyed the situation for a moment, before calling: "Naruto! Clones!"

"Gotcha!" he replied and concentrated, as Sakura willed several illusions of herself into being. And then the two groups charged.

Kajika parried another blow from Sasuke, halfway turning so he could see the approaching horde. His pupils rapidly expanded, until his eyes were nothing but black orbs. He smirked. "Your tactics lack... Substance." He lashed out, cutting down one Naruto clone, ignoring two Sakura illusons, before making an attack.

The real Sakura was forced back, clutching a cut above her right eye. She raised her weapon with one hand, trying to staunch the bleeding. "My illusions. You're seeing right through them."

"Of course I am," Kajika said, with a smirk. "They're nothing but dead air. I barely even notice them."

Sasuke saw the strike and prepared to stab Kajika in the back while he was still recovering from countering his allies. However, what was supposed to be a finishing blow met nothing but air and the raven-haired ninja realised that his enemy had lured him in, as the Sharks' leader danced out of the way. Kajika grabbed the now off-balance shinobi with his free hand, before bringing his elbow down.

There was a loud, stomach-churning crack as Sasuke's arm broke, forcing a yell of agony from him, before he was thrown away.

The swordsman advanced again, blade raised, only to be forced to divert his attention as three clones rushed in. As he began fighting them, Sakura grabbed the downed Sasuke and leapt off the stone island with him. She landed unsteadily on the cavern waters and ran towards the middle platform, Sasuke doing his best to not slide into the water as she did. On the platform, Naruto was already awaiting them, slightly shivering as he received the memories of his departed doppelgängers.

"Running away, are we?" Kajika called, as a headless clone collapsed behind him. "That's cool, that's cool. I did say this was gonna be like tag anyway." He jumped off the rock and began pursuing.

"Naruto, do you have any smoke bombs?" Sakura asked, as she and Sasuke got up.

"Yeah."

"Okay," she said, pulling her own bombs from her backpack. "Then use them."

"How many?"

"All of them."

As Kajika rapidly closed in, the entire central island was suddenly engulfed in a massive cloud of obscuring smoke. "Oh, hide and seek instead?" He smiled, as his eyes turned black. "I can play that game too." As he scanned the thick cloud, his eyes began picking up the small sparks of impulses dancing along the nerves of his opponents, outlining them. He focused chakra into his legs and jumped into the air, launching himself at the group trying to hide. "IN FACT, I'M QUITE GOOD AT IT!"

"How the Preta...?" Naruto managed, before the group had to run. "It's not working."

"Just keep your distance from him," Sakura said, trying to see Kajika over her shoulder. "We can't take him in close combat."

"Can we maybe hit him at a distance then?" the blond suggested.

Sasuke ran along quietly, brows furrowed in concentration. "I have an idea," he finally said. "Naruto, I'll need your help. He broke my throwing arm."

"Oh. Uhm, okay," the blond began. "What's the plan?"

"As you said, hit him at a distance. I can make out where he is with my sharingan," Sasuke explained.

"And where is he now?" Sakura asked.

"Leaping over us."

"Wait what!?" Naruto exclaimed, as the three stopped running.

Kajika's form was barely visible as he landed in front of them, sword ready.

"The other way," Sakura commanded, and the three genin retreated from the swordsman.

"Alright, get ready," Sasuke said, handing Naruto a kunai. "He's coming after us, right side. Now!"

The blond threw the projectile.

"Nice try. But you missed," Kajika taunted.

"I said right behind us, not on the other end of the cave," Sasuke hissed.

"Look, I can't see anything, okay," Naruto fired back. "Why don't you...?" He paused, as Sasuke handed him another projectile.

"Moving up the rock on our left. Throw!" he demanded.

The blond tried again, only to earn laughter from their opponent. "Wow, you guys never cease to be entertaining."

"Well, you managed to take out a very menacing rock formation," Sasuke deadpanned. "So maybe now you can focus on your job."

"Look, why...?" Naruto tried, but was cut off by being handed another projectile, while Sakura ordered: "To the right. Around the rocks."

"Okay, he's coming at us from behind. Left side," Sasuke instructed.

Naruto threw yet another projectile.

"I said left. Pay attention or we'll die."

"Just give them to Sakura!" the blond exclaimed. "She's a... Stop giving me these."

"He's trying to circle around us. Straight to the right."

"Augh, fine."

"I said straight. What was that even?"

"Look, I don't know what... Why are you giving...?"

"Straight ahead. Throw and fall back."

"Alright, alright."

"What do you think straight means?"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

"Oh man, you guys," Kajika chuckled, as he followed the fleeing genin. "You are hilarious. It's almost a shame to finish this." He raised his blade. "Almost." Then he leapt into the air.

Sasuke spun around, clutching a kunai. He smirked, then threw it into the air.

Something snagged on the mercenary leader's ankle. He felt himself fall forward. His arm got caught in something. He tried to pull his limb back, but something tightened around it. He began losing altitude. He could feel things tighten around him, tiny unbreakable bonds digging into his flesh, locking his limbs to his body. He landed with a thud on the ground, his weapon flying from his grasp. "What... What the Hell?" he grunted, realising he was wrapped in metal wire, as he struggled to get up.

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked confused.

"Later. Attack now!" Sasuke commanded.

Kajika spotted the three advancing and reached out to grab his sword, only for Sakura to kick it away, so it went flying into the waters below. Sasuke followed up by kicking him in the ribs, sending him rolling across the rock.

Kajika forced himself up, only to find himself starring at a rapidly approaching knuckle, courtesy of Naruto. Stars danced before the mercenary's eyes as his skull rattled from the blow. He wasn't even sure who attacked next, only vaguely registering a gut punch, a kick to the head and then some other attack he only barely sensed as dull, throbbing pains across his body, as he finally collapsed to the ground. His vision danced before him, as his eyes returned to normal.

"There," Naruto breathed out, wiping sweat off his brow. "Got him." He turned to Sasuke. "So, what happened? How'd you do that?"

"Something he said to Sakura made me think. The part about her illusions being dead." He folded his arms. "I figured, maybe he could see living things. So maybe with the smokescreen, he wouldn't be able to see projectiles so well. Of course, if we tried to use that against him, he'd fall back to outside the smoke cloud. So I decided to come up with a trap. I've trained myself to throw equally well with both arms, but he didn't know that. Instead, I let him think I wanted you to hit him. But all those kunai instead held strands of metal wires. Which your clumsy throwing spread all across the island. When I threw the final kunai, it raised the wires into the air, which he then crashed into."

"Good job," Sakura praised him.

"Yeah, gotta admit, that was pretty smart," Naruto congratulated him. "I mean, I wish you'd tell me about your plans, but still, pretty cool."

The Uchiha scion was quiet for a moment, before uttering a quick: "Thanks." He marched over to the fallen Kajika, grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up on his knees. "Now then," he began. "Talk. Who's your employer? What do they want with us?"

"Oh, my employer is very interested in you, Sasuke," the mercenary noted, with a grin. "All ninjas with potential, really. And you three, you're something else. I was just supposed to push your buttons a bit, see that sharingan in action, but you beat me and my crew. That's impressive."

"And why the interest?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, I cannot go into all the details," the Sharks leader noted nonchalant. "But I can assure you, he has his reasons. But hey, look at me blathering on, speaking for him, when I could just let him answer the questions himself."

"What are you...?" Sasuke began, but paused.

Something slithered around Kajika's throat, slowly making its way up. The raven-haired ninja stared as a small white snake coiled up on top of the mercenary's head, its yellow eyes meeting the Uchiha's sharingan. And in a hypnotically smooth yet still intense voice, it greeted him with: "Hello, Sasuke."

"Oh, a snake," Naruto remarked. "Aren't they usually bigger than this?"

"They are. But I don't think this is a normal snake," Sakura remarked, eyeing the ophidian with suspicion.

"Oh, you're quite correct, I'm far from normal," the serpent admitted with a chuckle. "I am but a fragment of a greater whole. It was I who arranged for this little game. I wanted to see the new scion of the great Uchiha clan in action." The snake looked to the two others. "Of course, I could not have predicted I'd find two such fine specimens at the same time. I am quite pleased. You have exceeded my expectations."

"Specimens? What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked annoyed.

"Oh, I'm a collector of sorts. Of fine individuals of power and potential like yourself," the snake said. "The perfect pieces for the great game."

"Pieces?" Sakura repeated. "I'd like to think we're more than that."

"Ah, but we're all pieces on the board. And the game is the most dangerous one there is. I speak of nothing less than the shinobi world itself," the snake informed them. "We all have our roles to play and all players want the best pieces. That's how it has always been. Even Konohagakure seeks to enrich its position, gathering clans as allies and training fine young shinobi like yourself."

"Hey, our village cares about us," Naruto stated insulted. "Konoha is not like that."

"Is it not? A player can care for its pieces. I certainly care for mine. None the less, your village would not hesitate to send you into danger, or almost certain death, if that was the correct move to make. That's the nature of the game." The snake paused. "Of course, some would say that is indeed the problem. That the game itself is at fault. But even so, you cannot leave it. We are all bound by it. You too will come to realise its all-encompassing nature. And when that happens, you will find yourself forced to ask, where exactly on the board you'll need to be to make the winning moves." Its serpentine gaze shifted to Sasuke. "I do look forward to meeting you all again. I foresee great things in your futures, should you choose to join my side."

"I seriously doubt you have anything to offer," Sakura remarked.

"Really? I guess we'll see. For now, we're done. Your sensei has been released and is already looking for you."

"Yeah?" Naruto grabbed the snake below its head and lifted it up. "Then you'll be coming with us, so you can tell him what you told us."

The snake was quiet for a moment, before bemusedly asking: "How well can you swim?"

"Swim?" the blond shinobi repeated. He heard a faint and distant scraping sound, and turned around, his two comrades following suit.

On the far wall, Yamame placed her hand on a series of inked symbols that she had drawn on the rocky surface. She smirked as they lit up, before the entire wall exploded, letting in a massive onslaught of water.

And said water formed into a great wave, rushing forward, swallowing up everything.

"RUN!" Sakura yelled as she set off.

Naruto and Sasuke followed suit, leaving Kajika behind to be swallowed by the deluge. They leapt across the rocks and stormed down the tunnel, pursued by a wall of liquid. It slammed into the back of their legs, sweeping the feet away from under them, and carried the three screaming teens with it, before spewing them out in a massive gout, launching them through the waterfall and into the lake beyond.

Coughing and sputtering, they managed to drag their soaked bodies up on the grass.

"Oh man, land," Naruto sighed happily, pausing as he eyed a pair of boots. He looked up. "Oh, hi Kakashi. How's it going?"

"Well," the man replied. "I do have a lot of questions. But I suppose we should see Genmai safely home first."

...

"Dad," a little kid called, as he embraced the returned villager. "Dad, I was so scared."

"It's okay," Genmai replied. "I'm home now."

"Phew. Glad that's done," Naruto noted, as team Kakashi watched from a distance. "Anyway, so I tried to hold onto the snake, but I kinda lost track of him what with all the water."

"I see," Kakashi mumbled. "It is quite the story." He rubbed his chin. "What concerns me the most is that they knew we were coming. That indicates a serious security breach."

"Who was that snake?" Sakura asked. "Anybody you've heard of?"

"I have my suspicions," the cyclopean ninja admitted. "They'll be hard to confirm. I will have to bring it up with the Hokage and the shinobi council first before I dare speculate out loud. Suffice to say, if it's who I think it is, well, you're lucky it went as well as it did."

"He kept talking about a great game," Naruto continued. "A shinobi game."

"Yes. Some do liken the politics between the five great nations to a complicated game," Kakashi noted, nodding. "I know Asuma really likes comparing it to shogi. It's a popular metaphor."

"So, are we really just... Pieces?" Naruto asked a bit disheartened.

"Well, I suppose that depends on what one thinks a piece is." The jonin shrugged. "You three are definitely pieces of work, that's for sure."

"Gee. You always know just what to say to cheer us up," Naruto grumbled. He paused, turning to Sasuke. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh, what?" the Uchiha scion blurted out. "Sorry, I was... Lost in thoughts."

"Something on your mind?" Kakashi inquired.

"It's nothing. Just... This all got me thinking. We should head home and make a report." He began walking off, still looking thoughtful, his broken arm hung in an improvised sling.

"Poor Sasuke," Sakura sighed. "I hope the doctors can help him with his injury."

"It might take him a while to recover, true," Kakashi noted. "But I've seen worse injuries." He paused. "As a matter of fact, I've seen them on myself. Did I ever tell you kids about that one time I was stabbed through the lung with a spear?"

"Can we skip that," Naruto pleaded. "I think I've had quite enough for today."

Not far from them, Sasuke paused. "My winning move," he quietly echoed to himself, before he began walking again.


	2. Crimson Clover

**Chapter 2: Crimson Clover**

Naruto sighed happily, as a dim spark of consciousness entered his mind. He felt very warm, but in a comfortable way, curled up under the covers of his bed. He vaguely sensed the light flooding his room through the window. In the distance, he heard the hustle of people outside and the busy noise of his father and sister working downstairs.

But it was okay. Today was one of his off days. Kakashi had granted them another couple of days to relax after the encounter with the Sharks, which had quickly been reclassified as another A-rank mission, much to Iruka and Teuchi's chagrin. His sister had just sighed and called it typical of him, before wondering how long it would be before he'd accidentally end up taking on one of the Kage.

But it didn't matter now. All that mattered to Naruto was that he could soak in the blissful warmth of post-sleep, knowing that he could stay there for hours before he had to get up. He opened his eyes slightly, wanting to get an idea of the time.

Konohamaru looked down on him.

Naruto closed his eyes again, before slightly opening them once more.

Konohamaru was still looking down on him, as if waiting for him to say something.

The blond closed his eyes. "Konohamaru."

"Yeah, Boss?" the youth asked.

"You're in my room."

"Ehm, yes," the young boy replied. "Yota suggested we wait for you to wake up. What with you coming back from a mission and so on."

Naruto took a moment to digest the information. Then he slightly opened his eyelids, looking to the other side of the bed.

Yota stood there, observing him with his emerald eyes, a warm smile on his face. Seeing that Naruto was looking at him, he happily waved.

"I see," the genin mumbled, as he closed his eyes again.

All was quiet for a moment.

"WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM!?" he yelled, as he instantly sat up in his bed, the pom-pom on his nightcap swinging wildly.

Konohamaru stumbled back with a squawk and fell on his behind.

Yota, however, only seemed excited to see the blond waking up. "You're awake, you're awake!" he exclaimed happily jumping from one foot to the other. "Naruto, Naruto, Konohamaru and me need your help."

"Ugh, my help? What time is it even?" Naruto grumbled, grabbing his alarm clock. "Couldn't you two have waited until midday at least?"

"Well... We tried waiting," Konohamaru said, getting back up.

"I mean in a not-creepy way," the blond replied, getting out from under his covers. "How did you even get in here without Pops and Sis noticing you?"

"Oh, well, ever since Ebisu changed his teaching methods, I've been making great strides in mastering ninja techniques," Konohamaru said with beaming pride.

"Also, your sister said we could just go upstairs," Yota happily added.

"That too," the Hokage's grandson admitted.

"Of course she did," Naruto sighed, as he got out of his pyjamas.

"She said you'd been hibernating long enough," Yota continued.

The blond responded with a long groan. "Can I at least have some breakfast before whatever it is I need to help you two with?" he asked, pulling his pants up.

"Sure thing, Boss," Konohamaru replied. "Actually, I could go for some Ichiraku ramen right about now. How about you, Yota?"

"Yep, yep, yep," the boy happily chirped.

The three of them headed downstairs, encountering Ayame in the kitchen, who was checking some mail the restaurant had received. "Ah, you're awake," she said innocently. "I was wondering if you'd sleep through the entire day."

"Sis, I'm gonna get you for this," the blond warned her.

"Oh, do give me your best shot," she replied with a teasing smirk. "But before you try and have your revenge, would you like to have some ramen for breakfast?"

"Yes," Naruto replied, his grumpiness immediately vanishing to make way for delighted anticipation. He quickly sat down, the two younger boys taking their places at his sides.

"Oh boy, oh boy, Ichiraku ramen," Yota happily sang.

"Dad, we've got three hungry mouths to feed," Ayame called into the kitchen.

"I'll be right there," he called back.

In the distance, one of the customers called: "Hey, uhm, Teuchi. Is it me or... Is it snowing?"

"Yep," the cook replied. "Yota is visiting."

"Ah, okay. Makes sense," the customer noted.

Soon after, Teuchi entered with three steaming bowls, which he served to the hungry boys.

"Thanks," Konohamaru and Yota said, before they both began digging in with gusto.

"So," Naruto began, after having sucked up a wad of noodles. "What did you need help with?"

"We need the crimson clover from Akagahara," Yota declared.

Naruto stared at him.

The kid just looked back with a smile, as if everything he said had made sense.

"I give up," the blond declared, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I have no idea what you want from me."

"Akagahara," Ayame slowly said, thinking back. "I think that was one of the training grounds. Was used last time we hosted the chunin exam, if I remember correctly. Pretty sure it's been allowed to lie fallow ever since then. Think Kakashi said something about that to Guy last week. Talking about another one of their games." Her brows furrowed. "And a clover you say? Oh, I know I heard one of the other girls saying something about that. Who was it again?"

"They say," Konohamaru began. "That a four-leaf crimson clover from Akagahara can grant a wish to the one who finds it."

"Right. Yeah, that was how it went," the woman replied.

"What do you need a wish for?" Naruto asked.

"Ehm... Well..." the kid replied, squirming slightly.

"We don't need a wish, no, no," Yota explained. "We need it for Kaede. She needs the wish, yep, yep."

Naruto blinked. "I don't get it," he admitted. "Who's Kaede?"

"Ka-Kaede Yoshino," Konohamaru managed, a blush starting to manifest on his face.

"Kaede Yoshino," Teuchi echoed, entering the room. "I know her. She's Okuda Yoshino's daughter." He rubbed his chin. "He was in here the other day, ordering an extra-large bowl. Said he wanted to enjoy my ramen one last time before moving. Apparently, he's gotten a long-term diplomatic assignment out of town, so him and his family are moving out."

"Ye-yeah," Konohamaru replied. "And... Kaede... Doesn't want to... To move. So I-I figured..."

"You figured you'd get her a wish?" Naruto guessed.

"Ye-yes," the Hokage's grandson managed.

Ayame smirked. "So, Konohamaru, do you like Kaede?"

The kid's head was now as red as a tomato, but he managed to squeak out a tiny: "Yes."

"Aw, that's adorable," she cooed. "Konohamaru, you're really brave admitting that." She eyed Naruto. "Unlike certain other people I know who keep denying their crushes."

"Hey, I don't have any crushes," the blond immediately declared.

"Really? And here I thought you had a thing for Sakura," Ayame continued playfully. "I mean, she is cute and that hair is really pretty."

The blond now also began blushing. "I don't have a crush on her," he muttered, fiddling with his finger.

"Hmm, what about Sasuke then? You talk about him a lot," she continued.

Naruto immediately erupted into a squawking and sputtering refutation of the suggestion, combined with some colourful expressions.

"Language, Naruto," Teuchi admonished him. "So, you two want Naruto to help you find this crimson clover?"

"Yep, yep," Yota confirmed energetically.

"Well, it's not like you'll need to help out here today," the cook informed the still grumbling genin. "You could go have an adventure with them."

"So will you help me, Boss?" Konahamaru asked. "Please."

"Alright, I'll lend a hand," he said, a smile starting to appear. "Sounds like a worthy mission of the great ninja Naruto Uzumaki. I'll make sure you get your clover for Kaede. Believe it." He paused. "Ehm, but first, my ramen."

...

Sakura was enjoying the warm weather, wandering the roads just outside the village. She felt like relaxing, but didn't want to be completely sedentary. So as a compromise, she had decided to go for a long walk. But it was while on this long walk, enjoying the pleasant weather and the beautiful nature, that she saw something she hadn't expected.

Sasuke.

The Uchiha scion stood on a wooden bridge overlooking a stream, staring contemplatively at the water flowing below. His arm was still carried in a sling, though a much more professional-looking one.

She approached, unsure if she was disturbing him.

His eyes flickered, as he noted her. "Sakura," he said, acknowledging her presence.

"Hey, Sasuke," she said. "How's the arm?"

The raven-haired ninja looked to his wounded appendage. "The medics mended most of the major damage, but said I should keep it in rest for at least or day or two. So my training options are currently rather limited. I went for a walk instead."

"It is a nice day," Sakura agreed.

"I suppose that is true. Mostly I just wanted to keep myself active," he said. "And..." He paused, as if almost unsure if he should mention it. "I've been thinking on things."

"Oh? Anything you'd... Like to talk about?" the pink-haired ninja gently asked.

Sasuke was quiet for a while. "No," he finally said. "It's not important anyway."

"Oh. Okay then." The two stood in silence for a while. "Ehm, I've been thinking too," Sakura began.

Sasuke didn't respond, but did turn his head to look at her.

"Ehm, I know the Sharks were much more experienced than us and that didn't help at all," she continued. "But between them and Zabuza's team, do you feel like relying on our kunai might be, well, disadvantageous?" she asked.

The Uchiha scion looked contemplative. "It is true. While it is a functional weapon, in direct combat it's short length is disadvantaged against other weapons," he said. "We might benefit from additional training." He frowned. "If Kakashi will ever get around to that instead of all this teamwork talk he's always going on about."

"Well, yes, I, uhm, I was thinking of bringing that up to him," Sakura said. "Maybe we'd all benefit from having at least another weapon to use. That way, we might be better equipped to fight someone like them." She paused, before adding, slightly quieter: "Not that I hope we'll have to do anything like that anytime soon."

Sasuke turned his head back towards the river. "I think it's a sensible idea," he said.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. That was probably the closest the raven-haired genin would get to outright complimenting her. "I'm glad to hear that. I was thinking of bringing it up with Naruto and then Kakashi."

"Naruto? I doubt he has anything of value to add," Sasuke noted dismissively.

"Well, okay, true, I doubt he has given it much thought," she admitted. "But he's still part of the team and he's really trying to be a good ninja."

The raven-haired ninja was quiet for a while, to the point Sakura was starting to question if he had heard her, before he stated: "True." He looked to the other side. "Speaking of whom."

The pink-haired ninja followed his gaze. "Oh. That's him."

Indeed, Naruto was coming up the road, accompanied by Konohamaru and an enthusiastically whistling Yota. They were also accompanied by a fresh breeze that carried the soothing scent of local flowers.

"Heya," the blond greeted them. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Sasuke bluntly replied.

"Arm's still wonky, eh?"

The raven-haired teen stared at him for a moment, before saying: "It is still in need of rest, yes."

"And how about you, Sakura?" Naruto continued, turning his attention to her.

"Me? Oh, I'm managing. Still tired after the mission," she admitted. "Anyway, Naruto, I was actually going to go looking for you."

"Well, you found him. He's right here," Yota helpfully pointed out, indicating Naruto with a nod of his head.

Sakura chuckled. "So I see," she said. "Anyway, Naruto, I was thinking that maybe we should branch out into using weapons other than kunai. They are handy, but I feel like they kinda came up, well, short when we've fought other ninjas with weapons."

"Hm, I hadn't actually thought of that," Naruto admitted.

"And what a surprise that is," Sasuke remarked, rolling his eyes.

"I think it sounds like a cool idea, Boss," Konohamaru enthusiastically added. "You could get a chakra-enhanced katana or maybe a naginata."

"That would be rather cool, yes," Naruto replied, momentarily lost in the fantasy of swinging some mythic weapon around.

"Great. Then I'll bring it up to Kakashi next time I see him," Sakura replied, happy to hear the support her idea was getting. "But, ehm, where are you three going today?"

"We gotta find a wish for Kaede," Yota replied with a smile.

Even Sasuke turned to stare at the cloaked kid in bewilderment.

Naruto sighed and explained: "What he means is that we're going Akagahara to see if we can find a four-leaf red clover. Because apparently, they can grant wishes. And Konohamaru wants to give it to a girl he's crushing on."

"That's cute," Sakura said with a smile, as the kid in question began blushing heavily once again.

"You're not honestly telling me you think a clover will grant a wish?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.

"I mean, you never know," Naruto replied with a shrug. "It might."

"It won't," the Uchiha scion replied immediately. "You're wasting your time."

Konohamaru frowned a bit.

"Ah, what do you know anyway," the blond shot back dismissively, instantly cheering the Hokage's grandson back up with his support. "Anyway, see you two around"

"See you," Sakura said, as the three headed off. She paused for a moment, watching the trio disappear, before a thought struck her. She turned to Sasuke, asking: "Wait, where's Akagahara? I don't remember any place around here named that."

"It's one of the training grounds. Currently closed down. Been that way since the last time Konoha hosted the chunin exam," he replied, as he returned to his position by the railing.

"I see." She rubbed her chin. "Is that place... Safe?"

He was quiet for a moment, before turning around with a look of contemplation. "I'm... Not sure," he admitted. "It's not being used right now, so, I suppose... But still." He looked a bit concerned, which made Sakura really worried.

The pink-haired genin looked down the path where the three had gone. "Maybe I should mention this to Kakashi."

"Might be a good idea."

...

The blond genin paused his march and observed the situation.

"An obstacle," Yota noted.

"Yep. It sure is," Konohamaru agreed.

In front of them was a tall chain-link fence, its top guarded by coils of barbed wire. A couple of signs had been hung, warning against trespassing. Behind it was a thick tangle of old trees and overgrown bushes.

"Hm, I don't see a door anywhere," Naruto pondered, looking around. "Seems like we'll have go over."

"Is that safe?" Konohamaru asked.

"Pshaw, a little barbed wire can't keep a real ninja out," the genin replied confidently. "Besides, you do want that wish for Kaede, right?"

"Uhm, yeah," the youth mumbled, blushing once more. He took a deep breath and looked up, determination in his eyes. "Okay. Let's do this." His tail unfolded and he leapt at the fence, with ease climbing up. He grabbed the top, sliding his fingers between the wire, and vaulted over, landing on the inside.

"Awesome job, Konohamaru," Naruto praised. "Now it's my turn." He placed his foot against the fence. "Hmm, not sure I can just... Naw, too many holes." He folded his fingers and concentrated. There was a puff and he was suddenly hoisted into the air by a stack of clones.

"Ooo, Naruto tower," Yota commented and giggled.

"Okay, now forward," the real blond ordered, pointing towards the fence.

"Easy... For you... To say..." the bottom clone grunted, slowly stepping forward. "You all... Weight a ton..."

"I agree. I feel like we've kinda been putting on more weight lately," a middle Naruto noted. "Maybe we should cut down on the tonkutsu."

"What, are you crazy?" yet another clone asked. "Dad makes the best tonkutsu."

"Yeah, but it goes straight to our hips."

"Look, can we just get this over with? I feel like my back's about to break," yet another complained.

"All... Of... You... Shut... Up," the bottom one grunted, as he finally managed to get close.

"There we go," the real one said, jumping over. "Thanks for the help everybody." With a puff, they all vanished. "Now its your turn, Yota."

"Okay, okay," he said exuberantly. "Hey, Naruto, watch this, watch me now." He began whistling a melody. The air around him began moving, the grass rustling gently. Then he increased the tone to a sharp note and the wind picked up in speed, suddenly ejecting him into the air, the kid himself emitting a high-pitched but very enthusiastic scream of joy.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Konohamaru asked concerned, as Yota shot far past the top of the fence.

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Sorta. Probably," Naruto tried.

The sound of Yota's giggling increased, as he fell back down. As he was about to crash headfirst into the ground, he whistled again, halting his descent with a pillow of air, before being turned around so he could land on his feet. "Tadaa," he said, doing a little jig. "Wasn't that awesome, huh, Naruto? Wasn't it?"

"It sure was," the blond genin agreed. "When did you learn that trick?"

"Now," he replied, with a wide grin.

The blond paused. "Well, you're okay, so I'm sure it's fine." He turned around and began walking towards the tangle. "Come on, everybody. We gotta find the CLAAARRGGHHH!" he screamed, as the ground gave way under him. His eyes widened as he stared at the bottom of the pit he was falling into, a mix of brackish water and small, upturned wooden spikes. His limbs shot out in every direction, chakra flowing through them to anchor himself, abruptly halting his descent moments before a surely grievous encounter with the spikes. "Sage's underpants, that was close," he gasped, staring at the wooden spikes centimetres away from his face.

"Wow, Naruto, you found a hole," Yota said impressed, as he looked into the pit.

"Boss, are you okay?" Konohamaru called worriedly..

"Yep. I'm good. Just gotta..." He carefully reached out with a hand, feeling the bottom. Then he experimentally lowered his foot between spikes, finding solid ground. Taking a moment to breathe and focus, he put a foot against the earthen side of the pit and walked upwards. "Okay, so there are traps," he noted, as he climbed out. "I thought Sis said this place wasn't being used."

"Maybe it's an old trap," Konohamaru suggested.

"What, don't they clean up after themselves? Pops gets on my case if I leave underwear lying around for more than a day," the blond said exasperated. "Okay then, watch out for traps I guess." He shook his head, as they continued into the woodland.

It was a wild and overgrown wilderness, filled with a wide variety of plants, more than a few of them covered in vicious looking thorns.

"Now, if I was a trap, where would I be?" Naruto mumbled, as they carefully made their way through the dense bushes. "Might be more holes. Look out for suspicious piles of leaves or moss. And also be careful of any tripwires or other such things."

"Got it, Boss," Konohamaru said.

"Yep, yep, yep, looking for traps," Yota chirped.

The blond genin halted, a thick tangle of thorny vines growing across their chosen path. "And this isn't helping either," he grumbled, stretching a leg over the plant to avoid being scratched by it. "Man, if only Sasuke was here, he could just burn it away. Or cut it with that shuriken thing he..." He felt something snap under his foot with a twang. Realisation set it, as he heard something move with a thwipt. "DODGE!" he yelled, as a dozen or so kunai were flung at them. Yota breathed out hard, shooting himself out of the way with gust of wind, as Konohamaru leapt up a nearby tree. Naruto himself leapt forward, crashing to the ground as the projectiles hammered into the area the trio had just been occupying. He breathed out and looked them over, several of the kunai were rusty and more than a few had shattered upon impact. "Hey, are you two okay?"

"Yep, yep," the weather salesman confirmed, poking his head out of the leaves of the tree he had launched himself into.

"I'm alright too," the Hokage's grandson said, dangling from a branch by his legs. "But that was close."

"Yeah. Kaede better appreciate this wish," Naruto grumbled, dusting himself off. "Oh no, my pants got torn. Stupid thorn bush." He sighed. "Let's move on."

The three managed to move on through the woods much more carefully, avoiding further incidents, by locating and safely triggering the various traps. Despite the wear and tear of the many years they had been left untended, most were still more than capable of maiming the unwary, if not outright kill them.

"Man, where are those clovers?" Naruto asked. "Sure would... Wait, more tripwire."

"Hmm, seems to lead up to that tree," Konohamaru noted.

"Alright, I'll trigger it. You two move back," the blond said, drawing his kunai. "One, two..." He cut the wire and jumped back. He waited a moment, then looked to the metallic racket, as several rusty shuriken was unceremoniously dumped out of the tree to the ground. "Oh, that one was a dud. Anyway, clover."

"I'm pretty sure clovers would grow in a field, Boss," Konohamaru remarked.

"Yep, yep, they look real pretty," Yota agreed.

Naruto paused. "Then what are we doing in a forest? Let's go find a field instead."

"Right behind you," the two younger kids declared.

It didn't take long for them to find a vast open area, worthy of being described as a field. And in the distance, a vast field of red surrounded a statue.

"Could those be the crimson clovers?" Naruto asked, holding up a hand to shadow his eyes. "I mean, they're crimson, no doubt about that."

"So what now? There might be traps out there too," Konohamaru noted.

"I have an idea," the genin replied with a grin and focused. A second later, a clone manifested. "Alright," Naruto said and pointed. "You just start running in that direction."  
The clone stared at the field, then glared at Naruto. "You're kidding, right?"

"What? No, I'm not," he insisted. "Look, just go see if there's any traps."

"Oh, sure. And when I get maimed by a booby-trap, then what?" the clone demanded.

"Ehm, I guess then you die," Naruto tried. "Or I'll unsummon you. Or something. Just go do your job."

"I don't feel like it," the clone pouted.

"Wha... Come on. You're supposed to obey me," the genin replied frustrated.

"Why?"

"Because I'm the original."

"Well, I didn't vote for you."

"Wha... Why would... Would you just get going already?" Naruto demanded.

"Fine. Just swing the whip one more time why don't you," the insubordinate duplicate muttered, as he began jogging across the field.

"Finally. What was his problem?" Naruto sighed.

The three waited, watching him get farther and farther away.

"Huh. Maybe it isn't trapped," Konohamaru said.

There was a loud boom, as the ground under the clone detonated.

"Oh, wow, oh, it, ehm, it's landmines," Naruto managed, staring in horror.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," the Hokage's grandson queasily stated.

"Look, look, his foot landed over there," Yota said, jumping up and down while pointing.

The shattered clone flopped around a bit, before crying out: "MY LEGS!"

"Oh, wow, ehm... STILL ALIVE?" Naruto loudly called.

"OF COURSE I'M ALIVE! NOW UNSUMMON ME!" the duplicate wailed.

"But that would mean that... Ehm... Maybe I should wait," Naruto mumbled.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!" the doppelgänger loudly and angrily inquired.

"IT JUSTS LOOKS KINDA PAINFUL!" the original admitted.

"OF COURSE IT'S PAINFUL, YOU DOLT!" the clone fired back.

"YEAH! AND, I DON'T...!"

"IF YOU SAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA UNSUMMON ME, I'M GONNA CRAWL OVER THERE AND BITE YOUR KNEECAPS OFF!"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, WOULD YOU RELAX ALREADY?!" Naruto yelled. "Sheesh, these clones." With a puff, the maimed clone vanished. The genin stood still for a moment, before his legs began quivering. "Yep," he said in a strained voice. "That's the memory."

"You need a moment, Boss?" Konohamaru asked.

"No... No, I'm good," Naruto breathed out. "I'm better now. Let's get some more clones out." He focused, five more clones manifesting. "Okay then, you all know the plan."

"Yeah, how about no," one of the clones replied.

"What? Why are you all like this today?" Naruto asked. "Just march that way, there might only have been one mine."

"Or we might all get killed. Again," one of the clones sighed.

"Well, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Now get going, we haven't got all day," the blond insisted.

"Fine. But we better get some of Pops' ramen once this is over," one of the clones insisted, as they walked off.

"Oh, but not tonkutsu," another said.

"Seriously, we're not cutting down on the tonkutsu."

"But my thighs..."

"Your thighs are fine."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, you look good."

"Would you two get a room."

"Wait, wouldn't that be... You know, like with a brother?"

"I don't know, we're all still Naruto, right?"

They conversation was cut off by the first of the clones being blown to bits.

"I'm just gonna look the other way," Konohamaru said, as another explosion went off. "I know they're only clones, but still..."

"Look, his head bounced," Yota excitedly commented.

"You're not helping."

Naruto sat down on the ground, as memories started assimilating. "I swear, this is the worst part," he groaned, as first-hand experience of being torn apart by an explosion settled in his thoughts.

It took a couple more clones, before a safe route could finally be determined, allowing the three to reach the field of crimson plants, surrounding a stone statue depicting the Sage of Six Paths. And indeed, the plants growing here were red clovers.

"Finally," Naruto said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Okay, Konohamaru. Pick one."

The brunette nodded and began going them over. "Huh, these all have three leaves."

"Yeah?" the genin inquired.

"Well, I need one with four leaves. That's the one with a wish," he explained.

"Oh, maybe it's like with regular clover. Four leaves is rare," Yota said excitedly. "Come on, let's all search."

Naruto looked across the large patch of plants and sighed. "We're going to be here all day."

...

Kakashi stood in the shop, letting his finger glide over the packages of instant ramen while considering the flavours. He knew how to cook, but when he finally had some time off, he genuinely preferred to just eat out or warm up a ready-made meal. So all that was left was to decide the flavour of the day.

"Hey, Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura said as she entered into the shop, snapping him out of his taste considerations. "Do you have a moment?"

"I suppose I do," he said. "What is it, Sakura?"

"I've just been thinking of a couple of things," she replied. "Ehm, first of, I've talked with the others, and, eh, well, do you think we could, maybe, benefit from some weapon training?"

"Of course you could," Kakashi replied without even looking up.

"Wait, really?" she asked.

"Beef or chicken?"

The pink-haired ninja blinked. "What?"

"I can't decide. Beef or chicken?" he repeated.

"Oh, ehm, chicken, I guess," she said. "Anyway, you agree?"

"Course I agree," he said, bringing the food to the register and paying. "A ninja can only benefit from learning more skills. I just wanted you all to know how to use your bodies first. But the way the three of you attract trouble, you'll probably need that training sooner or later."

"Ehm, well, hopefully there'll be no more of that," she murmured, twiddling her thumbs. "Ehm, on that note, there was something else."

"On that note, you say." He paused, then put the instant noodles down on the counter. "Hold onto this for me, would you Ms. Yoso? I feel like I'll be really busy in a few moments."

"I mean, it might be nothing but, ehm, you know Akagahara, right?" Sakura began.

"Yes. It's one of our training areas. Was used in the last chunin exam held here in Konohagakure. Currently lying fallow. Will probably be taken into use again in a few years." He turned around to face her. "Why?"

"Is the place... Safe?" she inquired.

"It's full of old traps from the Chunin exam, so no, I wouldn't call it safe," he said. "I mean, for an experienced ninja, a couple of old rusty traps and some outdated landmines might not be an issue."

"Landmines," Sakura echoed with dawning horror.

"But for someone less experienced , yes, it could be quite dangerous," he said. "Not to mention that little gift we got from Sunagakure."

"Oh no," Sakura mumbled. "Ehm, well, Naruto, Konohamaru and Yota said they'd go there. And I got kinda worried."

Kakashi stared. "If you're all that eager to return to duty, I could just get you a mission," he sighed, heading for the exit. "Where's Sasuke? He might as well give a hand while we get those three screwballs out of there."

"Last I saw him, he was down on the bridge towards Akagahara," Sakura said, following him. "He might still be there."

"Great. Also, good job bringing this to my attention, Sakura," he said, as the two began running out of town.

...

"No," Naruto muttered, as he carefully sorted through the crimson clovers with his fingers. "No. Not this one. No." He groaned, sitting down. "Man, this is boring. And I thought getting here was gonna be the hard part. It really is gonna take all day at this rate."

"Why not summon some more clones, Boss?" Konohamaru inquired.

"After the amount of lip they've given me today? They can stay inside me until I feel like letting them out," the blond murmured, before mockingly mimicking: "'I didn't vote for you.' Who does that guy think he is?"

"Hey, hey, look!" Yota called out happily.

"Did you find one with four leaves?" Naruto excitedly asked, jumping to his feet.

"No, one with two leaves," the kid replied, holding up the clover in question. "Isn't it cool?"

Naruto paused, then looked to Konohamaru. "You think that's worth a wish?"

"No. It has to be four leaves," he replied.

"Maybe I could find two and glue them together," Yota suggested, staring at the clover he had found while considering the possibilities.

"If it was that easy, we could just glue one more leaf on one of the regular ones," Naruto said, as he began searching again. "No. No. Does a four-leaf crimson clover even exist?"

"I hope so," Konohamaru replied. "But I've never seen one."

"Great. So there might not even be one," the blond sighed. "No. No. Not this one."

"I wonder how Kaede's wish will happen," Yota said, as he began searching again, his two-leaf clover placed behind his ear.

"What do you mean?" the Hokage's grandson inquired.

"Like, her dad was going on a mission, yes?" the weather seller continued. "So how will she stay? Maybe the Hokage will cancel the mission. Or her parents will forget her and leave her home alone."

"What kind of parents forget their kids?" Naruto commented. "They'd take one look in their wagon and see she was missing."

"Look, I'm sure if the clover grants wishes, it will grant it nicely," Konohamaru insisted, though his voice was a bit uncertain.

"Well, it won't matter if we can't find one of them," the blond said. "No. No. Come on. Wait, this... No that's just two tangled in one another. Man, I thought I had one there."

"Nope, nope, nope," Yota chirped, as he kept going through the clovers. "Oooo, shiny beetle."

"I'd have more luck seeing Sasuke smile than finding this clover," Naruto sighed, stretching his back. "Hey, Konohamaru, maybe we should come back tomorrow."

"But Kaede leaves tonight," the tailed kid replied.

"What? Man, you really came to me at the last moment, didn't you?" Naruto replied, slumping a bit, "Fine, let's get to it. No. No. No again."

Minutes crawled by as the three kept going through the clovers, never once finding one with four leaves.

"It's hopeless," Konohamaru moaned. "Boss, I'm starting to think there isn't one with four leaves."

"Yeah, you might be right," Naruto sighed. "Sorry, kid."

"It's okay. I just hope Kaede won't be disappointed," he muttered.

"But we haven't looked everywhere yet," Yota said.

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Really? Feels like it. Where do you think we should look?"

The weather seller pointed at the sage statue. "Under there."

"I doubt it. Don't think anything's growing under there," Naruto noted, as Konohamaru walked closer to the statue. "I mean, plants need sunlight and there not gonna be much of that under the Sage's butt."

The tailed boy kneeled down and looked into the small gap between the statue's base and the ground. Then he gasped. "Boss, there _is_ a clover under here. And it has four leaves."

"What, really?" Naruto asked. "Well, good job, Yota."

"Yay," he exuberantly replied, his small fangs poking out from his lips as he broadly smiled.

"Ehm, but I can't reach it," Konohamaru groaned, as he stretched his arms under the statue. "It's just too far away."

"Oh. Well, it's just a statue. It'll take more than that to stop a great ninja like Naruto Uzumaki. Believe it," the blond said, as he confidently approached the stone sage. "Yota, give me a hand."

"Sure," the boy said and followed.

...

Sasuke sighed. "Of course that idiot would not be stopped by a stay out sign."

Kakashi, Sakura and the Uchiha scion himself stood outside the fence surrounding the Akagahara training area, eyeing the open pit not far behind it.

The one-eyed shinobi didn't respond. He just crouched and jumped, leaping over the fence. He walked over to the pit and looked down. "The dirt has been scraped off in four places. Classic response to a pit. Neither Konohamaru nor Yota would be big enough to do that. No signs of blood in the water or on the spikes." He turned to the two others, as they made their way over the fence. "So despite stumbling into this trap, I'd say he managed to get off with a scare."

"But not enough to make him turn around," Sakura guessed.

"Nope."

"That stupid, stubborn idiot," Sasuke groaned, rubbing his forehead. "All this trouble for a clover because that dumb brat has convinced himself it'll grant wishes."

"Wishes? Oh, right, the four-leaf crimson clover," Kakashi remarked. "So that's what they're after."

"Please tell me you don't buy that rubbish too," the raven-haired genin commented.

"Well, no, I don't believe that thing will grant a wish," Kakashi clarified. "But... Ah, well, I'll tell you all about it later." He unfolded a map. "For now, let's try and follow the trail. Fortunately, all traps were marked down for future clearing."

"Yeah, but Naruto doesn't have that map," Sakura commented, as the three of them walked into the forest. "He could get seriously hurt."

"Maybe that will finally teach that dense buffoon to think," Sasuke added annoyed.

"Just think of it as an unplanned team-building exercise," Kakashi advised.

The Uchiha scion's mouth became a thin line, one eye twitching slightly.

"Now up ahead should be a simple kunai snare trap," the cyclopean ninja continued. "And yep, they triggered that one too." He paused, examining the scene. "No signs of blood. They avoided it. Probably overlooked the wire due to the bush here. Strip of cloth." He held it up in front of his face and smelled it. "Yep. Naruto. Must have dodged right about here, ripping his, hmm, pants I think. And then they continued."

The three headed further into the thicket, using the trail of disarmed or triggered traps to track the trio.

"So, where are these clovers?" Sakura asked, as the three carefully made their way through the thorny growth.

"Near the middle. There's a large patch of them there," Kakashi said. "But crimson clovers rarely grow four leaves. So they'd probably be stuck there all day."

"At least then he won't run off again," Sasuke commented.

"With that boy, who knows. Hmm, shuriken tripwire trap up ahead." The silver-haired jonin stepped forth and investigated. "Triggered, but the wire looks cut. They spotted this one and decided to disable it. Shurikens landed over there. Malfunction. Nothing else here." He looked at the map as they continued onwards. "If they kept going in this direction, they should avoid most of the other traps."

"Oh, thank the Sage," Sakura breathed out relieved.

"Until the minefield up ahead," Kakashi clarified.

"The what now?" the pink-haired ninja asked.

"Of course," Sasuke groaned. "Does the map at least tell us where the mines are?"

"Indeed it does. Wonder how they handled it?" They exited the dense thicket and entered the wide, green field. Several craters had been blown in the green grass, fragments of shattered stone and earth littering the surrounding area. "Let's see, several mines triggered, no body parts, blood splatters or corpses." Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I think Naruto sent his clones ahead to check for traps. Crude, but effective." He held up his hand over his eyes. "Ah. I even think I can see them at the clover field ahead. And they look okay."

Sakura was about to breathe out in relief again, but Sasuke cut her off with a: "Sounds like there's a but in there."

"But if they keep messing with that statue, they will trigger the little surprise we got from Sunagakure," Kakashi remarked, folding the map. "So, who's ready for a spirited jog through the minefield?"

"I'm gonna punch him. Swear to the Sage and his sons, I'm gonna punch that idiot so hard," Sasuke furiously grumbled, as the three began hurrying across the field.

...

"Why... Is this... So heavy?" Naruto groaned, as he and Yota kept pushing the statue backwards, tilting it to give access to the area underneath it. "Got it yet?"

"No. Almost though," Konohamaru said, stretching his arms as far as he could. "Can you push it a little bit more?"

"I'll try," the blond groaned. "Come on... Yota. _Push._"

"I'm pushing, I'm pushing," the out of breath weather seller gasped. "Stupid heavy statue." His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, pushing harder and harder.

"There. Almost. I can reach it with my fingertips. Just a little more," Konohamaru said enthusiastically. "Come on, we almost go it."

"Just... A little bit... More..." Naruto groaned, feeling every single one of his muscles protest. "A little bit..." Suddenly, the statue ceased pushing back. Both Naruto and Yota almost fell over, as the stone sage tipped completely backwards under its own weight and landed on the ground with a thud.

"Oh. Whoops," Naruto mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey, we got it, we got it," Yota excitedly said, jumping from foot to foot, as Konohamaru carefully plucked the plant.

"Yeah. But that was a Sage statue you just broke, Boss," the tailed boy noted. "That's bad luck."

"What? It's not, it's not broken," Naruto sputtered, gesturing to the fallen icon. "It's just, I mean, a little dirty that's all. Besides, it was for a good cause. The Sage would understand."

It was at that point that the quiet of the glade was interrupted by the sound of dirt moving, accompanied by the subtle snaps of roots being torn. All around them in the clover field, small mounds were growing.

"You were saying, Boss?" Konohamaru nervously asked, as the three of them took up position back to back.

The earth and crimson plants tumbled off the rising forms, revealing them. Old, warped wood was exposed to the sunlight for the first time in years. Rusty blades unfolded with a tortured whine. Limbs and joints creaked as chakra flowed into them. Lifeless glass eyes rolled in their sockets, patchy wigs barely covering their heads. Dozens of marionettes rose up in jerky movements, their arms ending in vicious blades.

"Oh come on," Naruto groaned. "What's this about?"

"Hello," Yota greeted them, while waving his arm. "Do you live here?"

"I don't think they're friendly," Konohamaru noted. "In fact, I think they're really mad about the statue Naruto broke."

"It's not broken," the blond insisted.

"Oh, well, then we'll just fix it," Yota suggested happily. "We'll just get that stupid statue up again, yep yep."

As one, the marionettes began charging.

"Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have called it stupid," the weather seller noted.

"Alright, bring it on," Naruto challenged, drawing his kunai. "You two be careful. Let me take the brunt of them." He prepared to face one of the puppets.

Suddenly, two other marionettes slammed into it from behind, the three constructs splintering, fragments of wood and metal dancing through the air.

The blond blinked, only to notice Sakura, then Sasuke and Kakashi. "Huh? What are you three doing here?"

"Stopping you from getting the Hokage's grandson killed, you absolute imbecile," Sasuke commented annoyed, as the three of them ran in and joined up. "Did you not see the signs on the fence or are you actually illiterate?"

"Hey, we had a wish to find," Naruto insisted.

"You're an idiot. You're a complete and utter idiot," the raven-haired Uchiha hissed back.

"Might I suggest you save the touching reunion for later?" Kakashi noted calmly. "These puppets may be old and worn out, but they can still hurt you."

The animated constructs kept advancing on the group.

Sasuke took a deep breath and then breathed out, his chakra laced breath exploding from his lips in a cloud of flames. Several of the puppets got caught in the fire, their bodies crumbling under the heat. He paused, trying to survey the results of the attack, when a marionette stumbled out of the smoke, its body blackened by flames.

"_Duck_," Naruto yelled, and the Uchiha scion immediately crouched, allowing the blond to kick over him, his foot launching the animated figure's head off its shoulders. "How about using that giant shuriken thing?" he suggested, as he eyed the approaching enemies. "That might be able to take down a few of them."

"Oh, and what do you want me to throw it with?" Sasuke asked annoyed. "The arm I'm supposed to be resting?"

Sakura punched one, cracking it's torso and launching it back. She grabbed the wrist of another puppet as it tried to attack, slamming her knee into its chest. She pulled her arm back. It felt good to really cut lose. Since these were just unthinking puppets, she could pummel them without hesitation. With that thought, she shot her fist forward, shattering the construct's face. As it fell, two more approached, viciously swinging their rusty blades. She grabbed their arms, trying to hold them back. That's when a third puppet tried to use the opening to stab her.

Konohamaru launched himself over Sakura and landed on the attacker, wrapping his legs and tail around its neck. With a yell, he used both hands to slam his kunai into its forehead. It shuddered and collapsed.

"Thanks," Sakura said, as she slammed the two puppets into each other.

"No problem," the tailed kid replied, giving her a thumbs up.

Yota stared at the puppets approaching him. He frowned. "You want to hurt my friends," he stated, all cheer gone from his tone. "That makes me angry."

One puppet leapt at him.

Yota just stared, not moving.

There was a flash of blinding light and a deafening boom. And then the puppet was gone, nothing left but a thousand fine smoking splinters.

Kakashi redirected the attack of one puppet, slamming the blade into the face of another, then jammed his kunai into the back of its head. As they collapsed, he looked around. The last few stragglers were easily torn apart by the group. "Well, seems we're done."

"Yes, we won," Naruto excitedly declared. "Hey, Konohamaru, please tell me you still have the clover. I remember losing a luxury coupon while in the Land of Waves and it sucked."

"It's right here, Boss."

The blond breathed a sigh of relief.

"Naruto, what were you thinking?" Sakura asked exasperated, now that the danger had passed. "You should know better than to go into a place like this alone. Do you think the council has signs hung up as a joke?"

"But, Konohamaru needed his wish," Naruto tried.

"Not this again," Sasuke groaned.

The pink-haired ninja buried her face in her hands for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath: "And I respect that you want to help and it is really nice of you, but you almost got yourself and those two killed multiple times."

"Yeah, that wasn't the smartest decision," Kakashi agreed. "Still, I gotta say, even if these traps were old, you still did a good job handling them."

"Heh, thanks Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said with a smile.

"That being said, we gotta work on helping you detect them. And brute forcing your way with clones doesn't always work," the cyclopean ninja continued. "You have to realise that a triggered trap can be dangerous, just by the fact that the enemy can use it to determine that intruders have come through."

"Right. I'll try to keep that in mind," the blond said, nodding.

"Now, as your team leader, I should probably come up with some form of punishment for violating the rules," Kakashi noted. "But I think just losing an entire day's worth of relaxation should do it. If you're also up for buying your team a round at your father's shop, of course."

"Hey, that's blackmail," Naruto protested.

"A valuable tool for ninjas, yes," Kakashi agreed.

...

The sun was setting in the distance, painting Konoha in orange colours. Standing in her kimono, nervously scratching at the ground with a foot, Kaede Yoshino watched the people of the city, as in the background, her parents loaded the last furniture on their wagon. Her fingers nervously tangled themselves with each other, as the moment where she'd have to leave steadily approached.

"Kaede, you ready?" her father called.

The girl sighed. "Yes, Dad," she said and turned around.

"Kaede!" someone called, and she turned around, watching as Konohamaru charged through the throng of people.

"Konohamaru?" she said surprised, as the tailed boy stopped up by her, supporting himself against his legs. "I, ehm, I almost thought you wouldn't come."

"I found it," he breathed out and shakily handed her the crimson clover. "I found a four-leaf crimson clover."

The girl's eyes widened as she saw it. "A four-leaf crimson clover," she repeated, starring in amazement, before breaking into a wide smile. "You found one."

"Told you I would," he said in a winded tone. "Now make a wish."

The girl paused, then looked to the plant. A moment passed.

"Kaede, finish saying goodbye to your friend. We have to go now," her father called.

"Aw man," Konohamaru moaned disappointed. "It didn't work."

"But it did," Kaede said while smiling.

"Huh?"

"I wished you'd make it here before I had to go. And you did. And now, I have this to remember you by." She leaned forward, kissing the stunned boy on the cheek. "Thanks, Konohamaru. I hope I'll be back soon."

"Oh, ehm, heh, ehm, yeah, ehm, me too," the heavily blushing boy said, as she hurried to the wagon. "Ehm, yeah, uh, heh, see you around, Kaede."

Not far from the two, the rest of the group watched.

"That was fun," Yota said with a wide grin. "We should adventure again, Naruto."

"Yeah, well, maybe not anytime soon," the blond groaned. "I'd at least like some days of rest now."

"At least Konohamaru seems happy. Even if Kaede is still going," Sakura remarked, before turning to Kakashi. "You said there was something about the clover."

"Yeah. It was one of the other ninjas back in the day who found a four-leaf crimson clover and managed to bring it back," the cyclopean ninja explained. "Since it's in the middle of the area and four-leaf clovers are rare, it took considerable skill to get one. So it became sort of an extra challenge for ninjas to look for one of them. It was said anyone who completed the challenge was destined to be a great ninja. And then it just kinda spread from there, taking on a life of it's own as something that was said to grant wishes."

"Told you there was nothing to it," Sasuke remarked.

"Maybe not," Kakashi said. "Or maybe, if you have the determination to find something as rare as that, you already have what it takes to achieve your dreams."

"That sounds like me," Naruto declared. "I'm gonna be the next Hokage."

"Hokage, Hokage," Yota cheered.

"Exactly. See, Yota agrees," the blond added.

"Yes, well, before you go become Hokage, you still owe the team some ramen," Kakashi informed him. "That includes Yota and Konohamaru too today, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got more than enough money," Naruto said dismissively. He paused, then looked to Sasuke. "So... You coming along today?"

"What?" the raven-haired ninja replied surprised.

"I mean, you _are_ part of the team. So I was just curious," the blond continued.

"It would be a good team-building exercise," Kakashi noted.

"I'm really starting to hate that term, Sensei," Sasuke noted venomously.

"Yeah, well, you coming along or not?" Naruto asked again.

The Uchiha scion didn't immediately answer, instead staring at the sunset.

The others waited patiently for him to reply.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Yota quietly asked.

"I'm not sure," Naruto admitted.

Sakura coughed. "Sasuke, you okay?"

"Huh? Sorry, I... I just remembered... No, never mind that," he said, rubbing the side of his head. "It's not important. I should... Hmm... I don't..." He sighed. "Sure. I'll come along and see if this ramen you keep yammering on about is really that fantastic."

"Really?" Naruto replied surprised, before a wide grin bloomed on his face. "That's awesome. Just you wait, once you've had a taste of Ichiraku ramen, you'll never want to eat anywhere else."

"If you say so," the raven-haired genin replied dismissively.

"Oh, we have so many varieties you gotta try. There's all the base ones. We gotta get you both a taste of miso and tonkutsu. Oh, and you gotta try some of the fishcakes. We also have some with chicken," Naruto listed.

"Listen, you let me pick what I want or I'm dropping this whole thing," Sasuke insisted.

"Okay, okay, sure, whatever," the blond replied, holding his hands up defensively as they began to walk over to pick up Konohamaru. "But if you do need help, I have a couple of suggestions for you."

Sasuke sighed deeply, as Kakashi patted him on the back while commenting: "Nothing quite like team spirit, eh, Sasuke?"

"Shut up, Sensei."


	3. Lady of the Lock

**Chapter 3: Lady of the Lock**

"And so, another day comes to an end," Kakashi remarked, as he and his squad entered the gates of Konohagakure. "Another day of saving the world."

"Sensei, we helped an old farmer garden," Naruto grumbled. "That wasn't saving the world."

"But without our care, his flowers would have gone unwatered. And that little part of the world would have faded," Kakashi argued with a hint of mirth.

"Don't try to dress these ridiculous outings up as some sort of service to the world," Sasuke interjected. "It's busywork that's only barely worthy of the attention of a ninja."

"Ah, yes, many would argue that," Kakashi replied, as they paused. "But Konohagakure has a nearly unrivalled bond with the people of the land and I do believe that is worth maintaining. Besides, seeing you and Naruto try and figure out what is up and down on gardening equipment sure did my soul some good."

"Hey, my dad's a cook, not a flower guy," the blond argued. "Though you seemed to have a handle on it, Sakura."

"Well, I do hang out with Ino a lot. So I've learned a fair bit about flowers," the pink-haired ninja replied.

"Which might just come in handy one day," their cyclopean sensei remarked. "Knowledge like that is essential for some disguises. So in that sense, see it as training."

"How about some actual training?" Sasuke inquired acerbically. "Like the training with weapons. Which you agreed to. A week ago."

"Well, that has been a bit of a work in progress," Kakashi replied with a shrug. "And I was actually going to surprise you with this later, but since you're so impatient, I guess I could tell you that I found a teacher."

"A teacher? Why not teach us yourself?" Naruto asked.

"Because I'm good with a few types of weapons that I've mastered," the silver-haired jonin explained. "A ninja's weapon is an extension of their body. You need someone who can find the weapons that are right for you. So I've asked Tenten of Team Guy to help. She's already becoming quite the prominent armsmaster in town and she has enough spare time to do me a favour and see if you knuckleheads should be trusted with anything more dangerous than chopsticks."

"Tenten," Naruto repeated, recognition in his eyes. "I remember her. We used be in the same class. She was so good with weapons, it was scary."

"Yes. So as you might guess, she's a natural fit for this job," the jonin noted.

"Finally," Sasuke remarked. "So when is it?"

"Three days from now. They're out south on their own mission with Guy," Kakashi elaborated. "I hope you'll have enough patience for that."

The raven-haired Uchiha mulled it over. "It would be unreasonable to demand they cancel a mission, even if it is one as pointless as ours," he stated. "So yes, I find that quite acceptable."

"I'm glad you find my plan acceptable," Kakashi replied. "Not that it would have changed much either way."

"Awesome. I'm so looking forward to this," Naruto said, rubbing his hands with glee. "I can't wait to storm into battle, swinging a nunchaku at the enemy. Or maybe a naginata. Or..."

"You? With a nunchaku?" Sasuke asked dismissively. "Please, you'd be more of a danger to yourself that way. If Tenten has any sense, she'll give you a rock and it'll be one without too many points."

"Oh, and what are you going to be wielding, Mr. Big Shot Uchiha?" Naruto fired back.

"A katana. The traditional weapon of my lineage," he replied without hesitation.

"Hah. Knew you couldn't be original," the blond scoffed.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "And what do you mean by that?"

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily.

"Maybe I should arrange for Tenten to train you all individually," Kakashi remarked, as he opened his book. "Might lower the risk of murder. Don't you three have something productive to do now that the mission is over?"

"Oh, right, we should go pick up our pay," Naruto said excitedly, forgetting his current feud with Sasuke. "And then, how about we all get some food at Ichiraku? My treat."

"I'll have to pass," Sasuke remarked, still sour about the blond's earlier comment.

"Why?" Naruto asked. "You enjoyed it last time."

The raven-haired ninja went quiet for a second. "True," he finally managed to admit. "But I have obligations and training to see to."

"Oh boy, training. Never heard that before," Naruto remarked, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. You do what you do. What about you, Sakura?"

"Actually, ramen sounds good," the pink-haired ninja replied. "There's a lot I haven't tried there yet."

"Well, if your offering, I suppose I wouldn't mind some either," Kakashi noted. "I have some business to attend to first, so... Hmm" He paused, looking towards the entrance. "Curious."

His three students followed his gaze.

Through the gate walked four ANBU ninjas, their forms obscured by their grey combat-vests and their face-concealing, featureless white masks. And between them was a captive. A fair-skinned and slender woman, with a cascade of long, dark hair. Her clothing was sparse, but colourful, a shamisen hanging from her side.

"She's pretty," Naruto quietly said. "But she looks like one of those wandering musicians. Why are the ANBU taking her in?"

"No harm in asking," Kakashi remarked and approached. "Good evening."

"Ah, Kakashi," one of the masked ninja remarked, bowing his head slightly. "All well I take it?"

"Quite so," he replied. "Who's the prisoner?"

"A spy. We don't know from where yet." He paused, before with a hint of cold menace adding: "But Ibiki will find out."

"I see. Very well, I won't take up your time then," Kakashi noted and backed away. The four ninjas nodded and continued.

"So what will happen to her?" Naruto asked.

"They're taking her to be interrogated," Kakashi remarked. "See what info she has already managed to acquire. But that is none of our business. You three had your pay to pick up and then there was ramen to be had."

...

The woman didn't say anything, as the ANBU ninjas escorted her down the concrete hallway, their footsteps echoing through the cold air. She didn't even look at them. She only observed her feet in quiet contemplation. The hallway ended at a metal door. One of the ninjas in front opened it, revealing a dark room. She only had a moment to look, before she was forced inside.

The light from the doorway fell upon a single chair. The two ninjas behind her tugged at the rope keeping her wrists together, freeing them. Then she was spun around and pushed into the chair.

The four ANBU left without a word, closing the door behind them, leaving the woman in complete darkness.

She rubbed her wrists. They were sore. The bindings had been tight, enough so to almost halt the circulation of blood. She could feel her fingers tingle as the numbness faded.

There was a sound to her left, as a match ignited. It fell into a bowl, spreading its flames to the paper therein and then the coals. As the flames intensified, they illuminated the other person in the room.

He was a massive man, his stern face marked by two long scars. Most of the top of his head was covered in a blue bandanna with the Konoha crest in front, his massive, muscular body wrapped in a black trench coat. He observed the flames, then placed an iron in the coals. "I am Ibiki Morino," he said without eyeing her, his voice deep and controlled. He began unpacking a small set of tools, a combination of scalpels, needles and small hammers. "From now one, things will work very simply." He kept unpacking, revealing pliers and hooks. "I will ask a question. You will answer it." He paused for a moment. "If not now, then later." He placed a small array of vials before him. He turned around and stepped forward, towering over the foreign woman. "What is your name?"

She just stared back defiantly.

Their eyes met. The interrogator could see the iron will behind them. Intimidation alone would not be enough. He turned and went over to his array of tools again. He paused intentionally, waiting to see if she'd take the opportunity to try and stab him in the back. Sometimes, defiance only lasted so long because they believed they still had a chance. He'd relieved his fair share of victims of those notions.

But she remained in the chair. Waiting.

He nodded, grabbing one of the smaller scalpels. He'd already decided. He'd start with the left arm.

...

Naruto walked into the glade, a giddy smile marking his face. Above him, a few clouds lazily drifted across the blue skies, which always cheered him up. And he was even more giddy to see whom was awaiting in the glade.

Kakashi was there already, talking to another ninja. Her brown hair was tied up in two buns, with a few bangs framing her face. She wore a pink and sleeveless blouse, which showed off the toned physique of her arms.

Behind the two of them, several racks had been wheeled out, holding a variety of weapons. Besides them, a pile of training dummies, weighted bags of sand and other equipment had been neatly arranged.

"Hey, Kakashi. Tenten," he greeted them, trying to restrain himself from jumping up and down. "Man, this stuff looks awesome."

"Heh, glad you approve," she said. "Got some help from the smithy getting this out here. We'll see how much we'll actually need though."

"Oh, can I try the naginata? Or maybe the kanabo? Or maybe a katana? I'd love to see Sasuke's face if I turn out to be better with one of those than him," the blond grinned.

Tenten paused a bit with a nonplussed expression.

"You see what I meant?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah. Definitely," she agreed.

"Huh?" the blond uttered.

"Never mind that. Seems like your teammates just arrived," the sleeveless ninja remarked and pointed.

Sasuke and Sakura approached.

"Nice to see you're on time, Sensei. For once," Sasuke commented sourly.

"Well, it would be rather rude of me to invite Tenten out here and then not show up," Kakashi replied.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed. "You do that all the time to us."

"So anyway, I'm leaving command to Tenten," the cyclopean ninja continued. "No reason for me to hang around. And I better hear from her that you all behaved." And with those words he walked off.

Sasuke tried to stare a hole through his sensei's back.

"Well, since there's no time like the present, so let's get started," Tenten said.

"What weapon are we going to use?" Naruto immediately asked.

"I don't know yet," she replied.

The blond blinked. "You don't know yet?"

"No. And can anyone of you three guess why?" she asked.

"Well, Kakashi did say a ninja's weapon is an extension of their body. So I suppose that would mean we have to figure out what weapons would work for us first," Sakura guessed.

"Exactly. This isn't the army. We don't just hand you a standard issue spear and send you to stab a sandbag," Tenten replied, as she picked up a combat fan. "A ninja must become one with their weapon." She did a few smooth moves, her body flowing like water as she fended off imaginary opponents. "It must fit your style and technique. It must never hinder you."

"Or as Kakashi would say, we'll die, right?" Naruto inquired.

She folded the fan. "Correct. Some ninja master a ton of weapons. Others few. Whatever the case, one size does not fit all. So if I am to train you in the weapon best suited for you, I need to figure out what that would be."

"Okay. Dips on the nunchaku then," Naruto immediately said.

"In that case, you can practise somewhere far away from me. On the other side of the glade preferably," Sasuke remarked. "Anyway, my family retainers have already trained me in the basics of the katana. So I think you'll find it suits me just fine."

"Or maybe try something that hasn't been done to death by ever single one of your grandparents," Naruto suggested.

The raven-haired ninja sharply inhaled. "Listen, I know you don't have much use for traditions in that soup kitchen you grew up in, but the Uchihas have practised and mastered the art of the katana for generations and I am not about to throw that away to satisfy your inane desire for novelty," he replied with restrained anger.

"Hey, we have traditions. For great ramen. Which you like," Naruto shot back. "But you know what we do now and then? Try new recipes."

"Oh, sure, give me a moment, I'll just come up with an entire new set of techniques and hone them for a few decades," Sasuke replied exasperated. "This isn't like adding a new type of radish, this takes training, effort and investment, you imbecile."

"Hey, adding new ingredients to ramen isn't just like that," Naruto replied indignantly. "You have to consider taste, consistency, texture, cooking time. And it also depends on the base. Making new ramen is an art."

"_Maybe,_" Sakura sharply interrupted, looking ready to punch the two of them. "If we listened to what Tenten had to say, just _maybe _then we could figure out what to do next."

"So that's what Kakashi meant by murder," Tenten remarked and chuckled. "Boy, does this seem familiar. No, we're not even starting there. We're gonna start with a few exercises so I can get an idea of where you are physically. Not all weapons suit all people. In that sense, I suppose Naruto's remarks on ramen are rather appropriate. The level of mastery we're working with here requires consideration for the whole. I already have Kakashi's summary of your skills and usual way of operating, combined with reports from the Academy, but I'll need more than that. Let's start with something simple." She pointed to an array of bags filled with sand. "Find the heaviest one of those you can lift."

"Fine. If that is how it has to be," Sasuke grumbled. He went over, giving a few of the bags experimental tugs as he tried to figure out which one to lift.

"Okay... Okay... I got this..." Naruto wheezed, as he lifted one of the bags. "Okay... Hoh.. Uhp... I... I got it..."

"Hmm, fifty kilos," Tenten noted. "Not bad. How much do you weight?"

"Ehm... Ah... I think... I think... 'Bout forty... Can I... Can I.. .Gweh...?"

"Yes, yes, put it down," she said and Naruto breathed out in relief. "And I see you're going for a more modest thirty."

"Yes. Because unlike a certain someone, I know how not to overtax myself," he remarked. "I could hold this all day."

"True. And worth considering. But what do you think is the heaviest you could lift, even for a short moment?"

"About sixty I'd say," he replied.

"Oh, come on," Naruto gasped. "You're just saying that because that's more than I lifted."

The raven-haired ninja rolled his eyes as he put the sack down. He walked over to the heavier one, kneeled down and grabbed hold of it. Then he stood up. It was obvious from his silence that he was focusing, his muscles straining. But he managed to hold it for thirty seconds, before he put it down.

"Good job. And then... Oh my," Tenten commented and smirked. "Doing well there, Sakura."

"Yeah. I'm fine," she said,holding a big bag within her arms.

Tenten slinked over and started walking around her, studying her with an intrigued smile. "I can see your muscles are getting a workout. But no wavering. No trouble breathing. Do you even feel slightly exhausted?"

"Not at all," the pink-haired ninja replied.

"Interesting. Do you work out?" she continued asking.

"As part of my training, yes. I also help out in my parents' bakery," Sakura explained. "So I'm kinda used to lifting heavy bags. We'd usually order both flour and sugar home in ones this size. So that helps."

"I see. Fascinating," Tenten remarked, taking a moment to admire Sakura. "You're pretty strong I'd say. I don't think even Kakashi has quite realised that yet."

"And what do you mean by that?" Sakura asked confused.

"Hey, Sakura, can I try that one for a moment," Naruto asked.

"Oh, sure," Sakura said, holding it out. "Do you have it?"

"I've got it," the blond confirmed.

Sakura let go. Immediately, Naruto went down, the sack slamming his hands into the ground. "AGWAHAWAHHH!" he screamed.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," Sakura quickly said, pulling the weight of the blond's poor hands. "I thought you had it."

"I thought I had it," Naruto moaned, as he inspected his hands.

"Yeah, one hundred and fifty kilos will do that to you if you're unprepared," Tenten remarked.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, how much did you say?"

"One hundred and fifty. _Kilos_," Tenten emphasized.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Sakura confirmed. She paused, noticing the looks from her teammates. "What?"

"Man, Sakura, you're really strong," Naruto noted.

"I... Agree," Sasuke said, looking a bit stunned. "That's almost three times what I'm comfortable lifting and you didn't even break a sweat." He hesitated. "I must confess, that is actually quite amazing."

"Oh, ehm..." She blushed a bit. "Thanks. I guess I'm just used to it."

"You could be real deadly in battle if you learnt to take full advantage of that," Tenten remarked, rubbing her chin while contemplating.

At that comment, Sakura's expression fell a bit.

"Anyway, let's give some dummies a good punching," the sleeveless ninja continued. "Strength is only so good if you can't use it properly." She pulled some training dummies out of the pile of items and set them up. "Mixture of leather and wood. Should be a good starting point. Alright, you three, pick a dummy each."

The three genin lined up.

"So, do we just... What, punch it?" Naruto asked, causing Sasuke to sigh.

"Yep. Just sock it as hard as you feel comfortable," Tenten answered.

Sakura breathed out and looked to the dummy in front of her. It didn't much look like a person. Only vaguely. It was like the marionettes she had fought back in Akagahara, except with even less features. But still... It was a stand in. For a person. A person she'd someday have to hurt. Could she do that? She knew that wasn't really the question. She could, easily at that. But would she enjoy it? She might. And that troubled her. She didn't feel like punching it hard. The admiration she had gotten had been nice, but then Tenten's comment had soured it. Even if it had been well-meaning, it left a bad taste in her mouth. Maybe it would be okay to just hold back and move on from there.

She felt part of herself disagree. Hard. The part of her that wanted to show off. Wanted to feel that rush. She gritted her teeth, her muscles tensing. That part of her wanted to demonstrate just what she could do when she let loose. Should she? Yes? No? She felt completely split on the issue, the two sides of her mind warring about what to do.

"Alright, three, two, one, GO!" Tenten announced.

A loud thud and the sound of cracking wood echoed throughout the glade.

"Well, well," the pink-clad ninja noted. "Good job everyone. But if this was a competition, well..."

All four, Sakura included, stared at the dummy she had just punched, her hand halfway burrowed in its torso, large cracks forming around the impact crater.

"Wow," Naruto quietly noted.

"I... Uhm... Sorry," she tried sheepishly.

"Eh, it's just a dummy," Tenten noted. "I think now would be a good time for some flexibility exercises."

...

A puff of smoke left the Hokage's pipe, as he went over another report. Nothing special, just a pile of D-rank missions, but even so, he felt he was duty bound to go over each and every one. Even if helping out with local farm-work and repair jobs wasn't glorious, it was an important tool for two reasons. One was the close connections it forged with the citizens of the land. The second was that it allowed him to follow the development of their newest ninjas, both to spot potential opportunities and problems.

A knock on his door caught his attention. "Come in."

"You wanted to see me, Lord Third," Kakashi said, as he walked in.

"Yes. I've been reading your recent reports." The older man fished the relevant papers out of the pile. "I see you've arranged for Tenten to train the three in weaponry. And at their request at that."

"Yes. Sakura brought it up," Kakashi confirmed. "Though we were going to get around to that sooner or later either way."

"I see." Another little cloud of smoke left his pipe. "How are you finding the task of training them?"

The cyclopean ninja rubbed his chin. "Interesting question. I knew it would have its ups and downs. Guy certainly impressed that much upon me. But I find that my planned training is being jumbled a lot more than I had thought. Mostly because of the highly unusual missions we've ended up with."

"Like the mission to the Land of Waves," Hiruzen remarked.

"Yes. At first I wanted to focus on building up their teamwork, but I've had to reassess that. Might also have to move on to talk with them about their affinities soon." He folded his arms. "Wouldn't do to only get around to that in a few years."

"As for their teamwork, how would you say that is going?" the Hokage asked.

"Forward. Naruto and Sasuke are building up an interesting... Dynamic. They are capable of great teamwork, but they also get on each other's nerves." He sighed. "And boy does that feel familiar. As for Sakura, she works well with either of them. I think Sasuke is learning to take her a bit more seriously and Naruto always liked her. Even if both of them occasionally... Frustrate her."

"Ah, reminds me of my own team," Hiruzen noted fondly. "Me and Danzo would argue about everything."

"Yes. Speaking of training, Tenten has reported back on their first couple of exercises. And she had some..." Kakashi paused. "Surprising things to inform me."

The Hokage waited for him to continue.

"She started out with some physical tests. Now, I did notice that Sakura demonstrated competence in physical matters in her academy examination," the silver-haired Jonin explained. "Her fitness was described as excellent. But that was just to see if she could perform what was averagely expected. Tenten got her to push herself and... Well, she's capable of lifting one hundred and fifty kilos without difficulty, for one thing." He scratched his head. "And Tenten had no reason to suspect she was augmenting herself with chakra when that happened."

"I see. Most curious." Hiruzen turned his chair, allowing him to stare out the windows. "Surprises like those are not uncommon in our village."

"True. Which is why I'd like to put in a request to have her lineage investigated," Kakashi remarked. "There might be something we're unaware of."

"Your request is accepted." Hiruzen grabbed a sticky note and wrote a reminder on it. "I will make sure an investigation is started. Though with the current preparations for the chunin exam, it will take a while before I am willing to devote personnel to it. In the meantime, report any development. If she merely has above-average strength, then it is manageable, but if any unusual abilities emerge, I will have to re-evaluate my priorities."

"Understood, Lord Third," Kakashi replied.

There was another knock on the door.

"Hmm, wonder who that is?" the Hokage remarked. "Come in."

Ibiki opened the door and stepped in, the floor creaking under the massive man's weight. "I have come to report on my progress with the prisoner and put in a request for assistance."

"Prisoner? The spy ANBU picked up the other day?" Kakashi asked.

"The very same," the interrogator confirmed.

"If you're requesting assistance, I take it she has been unwilling to divulge anything," Hiruzen guessed.

"Correct. She has endured everything so far without much more than gritting her teeth," the interrogator explained. "She has been heavily trained in endurance and interrogation resistance, going through deprivation, chemicals and injury without uttering any information. Were it not from the ANBU's report on her disguise as a singer, one could take her for being mute. I could use more invasive techniques, but I can already tell that will not work. Therefore, I request Inoichi from the Intelligence Analysis Department to be assigned to Interrogation in order to assist me in extracting information."

"Hmm, if you believe it necessary, I shall grant that request," Hiruzen noted, pulling his pipe from his mouth. "I will notify the Yamanaka clan immediately that his presence is required."

"Understood. I will take my leave then, Lord Third," Ibiki replied and bowed, before heading out of the office again.

...

The woman had now been thoroughly secured to the chair in the interrogation room, restraints locking her wrists, ankles and neck, a single lamp above her turned on.

Before her were two people, barely visible in the sparse light. One was Ibiki, who had now spent days trying to wring information out of her. The other was a newcomer. Even with the poor illumination, his ashen-blond hair and green eyes stood out. Like Ibiki, he was clad in a black trench-coat, which made it hard to get a read on his build. But compared to the massive interrogator, he looked downright wiry.

Inoichi, for his part, observed the prisoner. Bags under her eyes and fine white lines barely visible on her skin were the only hints as to what she had already been through. He found that there was an admirable simplicity and efficiency to Ibiki's work. None of that breaking of bones and carving of limbs that was the mark of inexperienced thugs. The head of the Interrogation Department was capable of inflicting soul-rending amounts of pain in a way that barely left a mark, precisely activating every nerve and sensor in a person's body until they felt like they had been sent to burn in the deepest reaches of Naraka. And yet they healed so efficiently, barely even a hint of a scar left behind. This meant that Ibiki could revisit those torments again and again, a fact that often broke lesser ninjas. And yet, this one had resisted. It was in its own way admirable too.

He stepped forward. "I don't know what Ibiki has told you about me," he calmly said. "Or if he even has said anything at all. But let me make this clear. Any and all information you have. I _will_ get it out. But it will not be pleasant. What Ibiki has done so far will seem a kindness in comparison. Those restraints? They are not there to prevent you from escaping. They are there to prevent you from accidentally hurting yourself. So do yourself a favour and tell us what we want to know. I'll know either way, but you might come to regret any silence on your part."

Her eyes met his. There was only a steely resolve and quiet defiance.

"I see. I can only respect your dedication to whomever you work for. Even if it is futile." He stepped forward and placed a hand on her forehead. He closed his eyes, focusing. He felt his chakra flare in his brain. And then it travelled down his arm, his thoughts extending with it. It continued into her, hammering into her skull, connecting their minds. Her eyes widened and her teeth pressed together. Charges of chakra began dancing through her neurons, causing them to flare up. Her body began shaking as Inoichi began prodding deeper, shards of chakra seeping into every crevice of her memory, every last piece of information ripped out and laid bare, her entire sense of self unravelled and strung out. She began wildly fighting the restraints, her body trying to contort itself out of shape.

Inoichi, for his part, began analysing the information, the connection allowing him to read the strings of thoughts as her mind was dissolved. He saw pictures, heard sounds and felt upon himself old feelings she still remembered. He saw green glades and blue skies. A cabin. Always a cabin. An eye. Four enclosing walls. And old man. Not always there. But often. "You will go to Konohagakure, Hanare" he says. A name. Her name. An eye. "Acquire any information you can find." Who was he? Sensei. Caretaker. No name. An image. A lock. A symbol. A name. Jomae. The Lock Village. Land of Keys. But only words. No images. No family. No friends. No memory. An eye. Always the cabin. Always the grass. Land of Grass. Her mission. The disguise. Travelling minstrel. The attack. ANBU. Caught and brought in. Alone. An eye. No backup. Tears. Sadness. Alone. Always alone. Left but lost. But there was somebody. An eye. A boy. A boy with silver hair. He reaches out and helps her. Gives her his hand. His name. "I'm Kakashi," the teenager says.

...

Kakashi stared at the woman through the one-way glass. She was lying on the floor, absent-mindedly looking into space with glazed eyes. Not an unusual reaction to having one's mind be ripped into easily digestible pieces of information. It usually took people a while to pull themselves together again after going through that. "So you say she saw me," he said, his singular eye shifting focus to Inoichi, who was standing next to him.

"Yes. Well, you as a teenager. You even gave her your name," he replied.

"Aha. Well, I for one have no idea who she is," he replied.

"So you've never met her?"

"I didn't say that. Just that I can't remember her. I've been to the Land of Grass a couple of times. Once escorted some prisoners to Hozuki Castle for internment. So I might have met her."

"I see." The blond paused. "I don't like any of this, Kakashi. And neither does Ibiki."

"Oh?"

"It just doesn't add up. She's clearly well trained. Physically, she'd be a match for your average chunin. Only thing the medics noted upon was that she's blind in her right eye. They suspect internal damage of some sort. And mentally, well, she held out for days against Ibiki. Took my clan's jutsu to get information out of her." He sighed. "Nothing. She had nothing. Didn't even manage to acquire so much as the names of a single patrol. ANBU had her pegged and taken out before she could even pick up rumours about our town, she was that obvious. But..."

"But if it was that obvious, it might be a trap," Kakashi finished the sentence.

"Exactly. Technically, she's from the Land of Keys. You know if it?" the green-eyed ninja inquired.

"An island country far to the north, if memory serves," the cyclopean shinobi replied. "Certainly not a place we regularly interact with."

"Exactly. And they do have a ninja village. Jomae, the Lock Village. They operate a continent-spanning network of spies and informants, which they use to manipulate events for their country," Inoichi explained. "Thing is, she's never been there. Or if she has, so long ago that those memories have completely faded. Likely when she was a baby, if I had to guess."

"Oh?"

"She's been trained by this one guy in a place they set up in the Land of Grass. She's been raised as a spy her entire life."

"And despite this, she blunders into ANBU the moment she shows up," Kakashi replied. "This smells of a setup."

"But for what? If it is a setup, she has no idea. Nothing about this makes any sense." He folded his arms. "And then there's the fact that she remembers you. You were one of two people she's met that there was any focus on. She has barely any human contacts. In a way, I feel sorry for her. But she did come here to steal our village's secrets."

"Except it seems like she failed," Kakashi said.

"Right. But then why was she so stubborn that I had to be called in. If she had just admitted from the start that she had messed up and got nothing, we would probably have bartered her back to her village for some of their information. Instead, she willingly endured days of torture and my jutsu. For nothing." He sighed. "I brought this up with the council. They agree that it seems like a set-up. That's why I called you in. Since she remembers you, we figured you should be assigned as her guard while she stays in the village."

"Is that so?" Kakashi asked. "Do you really think that will work?"

"I have no idea. At this point, there's too many unanswered questions. Nothing about this makes sense. She might even be here for you, for some reason." He shrugged. "But we need to find those answers. And right now, this is the best option we've got. Once she's had more time to recover, we'll allow her to walk around town with an escort. That is, you. And then... I guess we will see. Until we know more, we cannot allow her to leave the village or rejoin her people. It is just too risky."

"Understood. I will do my best," Kakashi replied. "Still trying to remember where she met me. You said I was helping her?"

"Yeah. She was sitting down. Crying. Feeling lost. And you offered to help her," he said, remembering the memory he had investigated. "I think she was trying to find her way to the Lock Village."

"From the Land of Grass. Quite a trip that would have been," Kakashi remarked. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe she'll help jog my memory."

"If you need help, I can always go looking in _your_ head," Inoichi offered with a smirk.

"I'd rather not have my thoughts reduced to noodles if I can avoid it," the cyclopean ninja replied.

...

Kakashi walked down the bustling street of mid-town Konohagakure, his ward silently following his stride. He eyed her. Now that she had been released from interrogation, at least officially, she had been given some clothes other than the colourful ensemble she had been disguised in. This was as much for her sake as it was a security measure, in case that even a thorough inspection had managed to overlook tools or chakra infusions in her clothes. So now she instead wore a pale-yellow kimono top and purple skirt. "So," he began conversationally. "They told me your name was Hanare." He didn't expect an answer.

"Yes," she replied quietly.

He eyed her. "Okay. Good to know we got that right." They continued walking. He observed her as she looked around, taking in the sights around her. Around them, people manned stalls, showing off food, clothes and various other things to anyone showing interest. Entire families walked about, excitedly planning their dinners. Children played in the streets. And even a few ninjas were taking the time to calmly inspect the area while chatting with the civilians.

"It's a nice place," Hanare finally said.

"Well, I am glad to hear that," Kakashi noted. "What about where you're from?"

She went quiet for a moment, her head hanging slightly. "I don't have a home," she admitted. "Not really. I serve the Lock Village, but I've never visited it."

"I see." Kakashi nodded. So far, it all fit with the information Inoichi had given him. But it brought him no closer to the info they lacked. "The Land of Keys is far away. It'll probably take some time before our message reaches them," he noted. "So you will be a guest in our village for a couple of days. Anything you'd like to do?"

She looked thoughtful. "I guess..." she slowly began. "I'd just like to stay with you. For now. Maybe somewhere a bit less crowded."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere." He looked around contemplatively. "But if you just want to relax for a bit, I know a spot nearby with a great view. Usually also pretty quiet. Would that work?"

"Yes. That sounds quite nice actually," she admitted.

The two of them walked on, passing by the Yamanaka flower shop.

Inside, Sakura carefully inspected the white flowers in the bouquet she was holding. "You sure Tenten likes these?"

"Absolutely," Ino replied. "Just remember to say that it is a thank you present for her hard work training you three."

"Well, obviously," the pink-haired ninja replied.

"I meant so she doesn't think you're asking her out on a date or something," the blonde continued with a smirk.

"Oh? Oh," she said. "Right. Yes. Good idea."

Ino chuckled, then looked out the store's window. "Huh. Speaking of date, who's the woman Kakashi's with? She's got some pretty hair."

"Huh? Who?" the other ninja asked, following her gaze. "Oh, I remember seeing her. She was brought in by ANBU the other day."

"ANBU you say? Now I'm curious." Ino sighed. "But Mom asked me to keep an eye on the shop for now." She eyed Sakura and grinned. "Hey, why don't you go check it out? It's your sensei after all."

"Why exactly would I care if Kakashi is getting to know somebody?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "You just want me to gather gossip for you."

"True," the blonde replied, smiling widely. "Buuuut, here's the thing. You're already complaining that he's showing up for training sessions late half the time. How much worse would it be if he's getting together with some random woman? I mean, I imagine you'd at least like to be in the know. Especially since the man doesn't volunteer any information about himself to begin with."

"You... You're manipulating me," Sakura replied accusingly.

"Yes. It's my speciality after all." Ino leaned in, arms folded. "And it's working, isn't it?"

"I... No... Maybe... A little bit," Sakura mumbled. "Look, let me just pay for these flowers, okay?"

"Sure thing. Make sure to report back."

"How about I buy a second bouquet and shove them down your throat? Is that enough of a report for you?"

Moments later, Sakura exited the store and looked around. In the distance, she could see Kakashi and the woman. She bit her lip, rocking back and forth on her feet. She didn't want to spy on her sensei. It wasn't right. And what he did was none of her business. She paused. But on the other hand, it wasn't like there was anything wrong with just asking him what was up. In fact, she'd have done that normally if she had seen him. That had nothing to do with Ino at all. That was just being friendly and maybe a little curious, but she'd accept it if she was told to butt out. Thus reassured by herself, she followed Kakashi and his companion. Only to pause as she spotted both Naruto and Sasuke hanging out by the corner of a building, the two of them obviously keeping an eye on Kakashi.

"What are you two doing?" she asked as she approached, causing Naruto to jump in surprise.

"Knucklehead here wanted to spy on Kakashi," Sasuke said, not even looking up.

"Hey, you're in on it too," the blond shot back.

"Because our training has been lacking enough as it is without him wasting time on some random woman he's picked up," he replied.

"Yeah, Ino mentioned something about that," Sakura sighed.

"So wasn't that lady taken in by ANBU?" Naruto asked. "Why's she just allowed to waltz around?"

"Guess they concluded she wasn't a threat," Sakura guessed. "She's probably just staying here while they ransom her back to her village. Kakashi might even just be escorting her."

"Which would be weird," Sasuke noted. "Wouldn't they have someone from ANBU do that? Or someone from Interrogation?"

"Ehm, I guess it does fall outside Kakashi's usual duties," the pink-haired ninja remarked. "Still, it could happen. Kakashi is certainly good enough to have been selected for ANBU if he wasn't training us."

"I think they're heading for the hillside lookout," Naruto reported, as he leaned out to eye the two again. "Are we sure they're not dating?"

"Ehm, I mean, hmm..." Sakura paused. "It could happen. I guess. If she's been cleared by ANBU, then... It would be rather unusual if she's actually a spy though."

"Who said she is a spy?" Sasuke asked. "ANBU took her in, but they're not flawless. She might just have been a minstrel who acted suspiciously and now she's been cleared, meaning she's just here as a guest. In that case, nothing's stopping a Konoha ninja from dating her."

"And why wouldn't they? That hair looks so smooth," Naruto remarked with admiration. "Just like yours, Sakura."

"Oh, thanks, I do try to keep it healthy," she replied, twirling a lock. "Anyway, we don't know that."

The blond smirked. "Then let's go find out."

...

The hill was a nice simple place, a large grassy knoll overlooking the town. A single tree cast shade over the bench, bringing some relief to the people often seeking rest there.

Hanare leaned against the railing, taking in the sight of the town. "The view is beautiful."

"Glad you like it," Kakashi said, thumbing through his book.

"You know, I've never been to a town like Konohagakure before," she continued. "Never met so many people."

"Never?" the cyclopean ninja asked, still reading. "Didn't you have to go buy food occasionally?"

"No. I was... Provided for." She sighed. "Do you have any family?"

"No close relations still alive, but I'm related to the Inosuka clan," he remarked.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She paused, then turned to look at him. "Did you know them?"

Kakashi didn't answer for a while. "I knew my father, yes."

"I never knew my parents. I don't know whether they still live or not. And I most likely never will." She held a hand to her chest, as if experiencing a sting of pain. "People like me... We bring information to Jomae. But we can never go there. Never meet the people we serve. Because if we did that... We'd bring that knowledge with us back out into the world. And that would make us dangerous."

"I see how this keeps you people nice and expendable," Kakashi remarked with distaste. He closed his book and looked up. "Why tell me this?"

"Huh?" she asked.

"Why tell me this? I've read the report. You kept your mouth shut for three days enduring Ibiki's tortures until he had to go get Inoichi to rip what little information you had straight out of your head. So why tell me this?"

She went quiet for a long while. "Because you were nice to me."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You helped me. Once upon a time. You were so young back then. We both were, but... I still recognise you."

Kakashi tried to get a read on her face. "Sorry, but I don't actually remember you."

She chuckled. "That's okay. I wouldn't expect you to. In fact, in a way, that makes me even happier."

The silver-haired jonin raised his eyebrow. "You might want to explain that one."

She turned around again and watched the village. "My sensei, he took care of me. Made sure I had food and clothes. Taught me to play the shamisen. But I always knew it was only so I could serve Jomae. Because I was useful. So one day, I decided to set out for the Land of Keys. I wanted to see the Lock Village, my parents, anyone. I guess I was... Looking for a reason to go through all this. To find something to fight for." She paused. "It was silly. I was just a dumb little kid. I'd never have gotten even close to the place."

"That was my thought too," Kakashi remarked.

"I got lost. I was scared. I'd never been out on my own like that before. And then you showed up. I guess you heard me crying." She smiled. "You helped me and lead me back, until my sensei found us. Then you took off, telling me to take care. I've never forgotten that."

Up in the tree, Kakashi's team watched the exchange, hidden in the foliage.

"I feel like we're kinda overstepping some sort of boundary," Sakura quietly remarked.

"Yeah, but listen to her. I think she's telling Kakashi about their first meeting or something," Naruto replied.

"It does appear to be the case," Sasuke added. "But I'm having slight trouble hearing her."

"That is very nice, but I'm still not sure I understand," Kakashi said.

"You helped me. Wanting nothing in return. It wasn't even a big deal. Just you being kind to another soul in need. And that was more than anyone else had ever done for me." She turned around stepping closer. "And... I've always remembered that. Wondered what became of the boy who helped me. I saw you the day I was brought in. And... I was sure it was you. And then when you were chosen to escort me, I... I knew I had to tell you." She paused, standing close to him. "That... Through all these years, whenever I felt sad, I'd remember you. That you've made me happy."

The two looked into each other's eyes.

"Oh boy, is she about to propose?" Naruto quietly but excitedly asked, crawling a bit further out on the branch.

There was an ominous creaking.

"Naruto!" Sakura quietly hissed, eyes widening as she felt her own branch sag. "_Naruto!_"

Kakashi sighed, as if worried he was about to hurt her. "Listen, it saddens me to hear that you've had to live like that. It's unworthy of a ninja to be treated like you have been. And I am glad I could help you. But I don't want you getting the wrong idea. Truth is, I'm..."

A cacophony of snapping branches and yells echoed out from up above him. His training kicked in immediately. He rushed forward, pushing Hanare out of the way, one of his hands already adjusting his headband to reveal his sharingan. As she fell to the ground, he twirled around on the spot, hand on his kunai.

He took a moment to observe his three students lying in a pile of limbs, branches and leaves.

"You... Colossal... Idiot," Sasuke hissed, trying to get Naruto off. "May I suggest you cut down on the tonkutsu and lose some kilos, you heavyweight buffoon."

"Oh, I am getting so tired of everyone telling me that, myself included," the blond grumbled. "Sakura, can I have my hand back?"

"Oh, sorry," the pink-haired girl said, trying to get her foot dislodged from under Sasuke.

"Well, well," Kakashi said, watching them. "You three sure have gotten better at stealth. I didn't even notice you until you all bungled it like this. That's actually impressive."

"You think so, Sensei?" Naruto asked relieved.

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed, before adding without an ounce of humour: "I am of course also furious at this disrespectful intrusion into my private life and there will be consequences later." He went back to sounding cheerful with a: "But other than that, I am impressed with you progress."

"O... Okay then," Naruto meekly replied.

"I'm also kinda surprised at seeing you here, Sakura?" the silver-haired jonin further remarked. "This seems to be a bit below you usual level of common sense."

"Ehm... It's a long story," she admitted.

"Looking forward to hearing it. Anyway, sorry about these three rascals. They are my students and..." He paused, having turned around to face Hanare again, their eyes meeting once more. He froze, looking completely lost for a second.

"Something wrong?" she asked, getting back on her feet.

"Huh? Wrong? No, not at all," he said, readjusting his headband. "Just got worried. You're not injured, are you?"

"No. Just a little sore," she admitted. She looked to the three genin. "So, you were listening in."

"Uhm... I.. Yes... See..." Naruto fumbled, looking around. He grabbed the bouquet of white flowers by his side, jumped back up on his feet and handed them over. "We just wanted to say welcome to Konoha to you. Have some flowers."

"Oh, how nice," she said and smiled, taking the bouquet. "You're all so friendly." She turned to face Kakashi. "Anyway, I was thinking..."

The moment her attention was off them, Naruto felt a flat hand slam against the back of his head, almost knocking him over. He looked to the source, only to find himself staring into the face of an angry Sakura. Her fingers wrapped themselves around the neck of his jacket and pulled him closer. "Those flowers," she began, grabbing one of his wrists with her free hand. "Were for Tenten."

"I had to think fast, you saw how angry Kakashi was and besides, we have so much money, you can just buy another oa, ah, ah, please stop squeezing, _please stop squeezing_!" he pleaded, as her vice-like grip intensified.

...

Tenten watched the three practice with bokken against training dummies. After getting a feel for their physical shape, she had handed them different practise weapons and let them improvise their approach to fighting simple dummies. This helped give her a feel for which weapons they'd have potential with. And she concluded that she had the data she needed. "Alright everyone. Stop swinging."

"How many more of these sessions are you going to run us through before we move on to actual training?" Sasuke grumpily inquired, as he put the wooden instrument down.

"I actually think I have what I need," she replied. "I think I can say with pretty good certainty which weapons you all would have the best chance of developing your skills in."

"Oh boy. Do I get a nunchaku?" Naruto asked. "Or a naginata?"

"Simmer down," Tenten replied with a smirk. "I get you're eager. But first, I'd like to handle the least surprising element. Sasuke, there can be no doubt that your form and style has already been heavily shaped to utilize a katana for maximum efficiency. Combined with your spectacular precision, which also benefits your skills with shuriken. Those two weapons are the ones you show aptitude with."

"I told you so," he remarked.

"Still I do wonder what you could have done had you not already been trained so heavily to favour this style," she remarked. "I guess we'll never know."

The raven-haired Uchiha looked offended at the idea that his family's ancestral style could somehow not be the best possible option to begin with.

"Let us move on. Naruto, you have good strength and good movement. You're adroit, ferocious and you have stamina," she explained, turning to the excited blond. "Your precision is, well, I'd say markedly better than back when I knew you at the Academy. You can pull off some real good shots now and then. But it's far too irregular. You'll be better off with a weapon that doesn't demand precision all the time. If I gave you something like a katana or naginata, there'd be a real risk you'd shatter the blade on a wild or misaimed swing."

"Oh. Okay then," he said. "Nunchaku then?"

"A little too demanding I'd say," she replied. "No, I have some different weapons in mind. For close range, I think with some training you could make good use of a jitte." She pulled forth a small weapon about the length of a dagger. It didn't have a blade, instead having a short and blunt metal rod with a similar blunt hook near the handle. "It looks a little... Harmless," he remarked, taking it.

"Don't underestimate it. It's a solid weapon and used by the Konoha Civil Police," Tenten noted. "And that's quite the pedigree. You're unlikely to break it with a wrong swing and it has many applications. Not only can you bash and bruise enemies with direct strikes, the hook can catch clothing and such things to throw enemies off balance."

"Or catch their swords?" he inquired.

"Well, yes and no. The hook is pretty close to the handle, so it does make it risky. Best way to do it is to use the main part to block a weapon, then slide it into the hook to assert control," Tenten explained.

"Alright. That's... Actually pretty cool," the blond admitted.

"It will serve you well as a side-arm," she said, reaching into her pile of weapons. "Now, I also noted both from your Academy report and the exercises that you're pretty skilled at climbing. Keep training at that. It's a useful skill. And therefore, I recommend these." She held out what resembled for all purpose four curved iron claws attached to two rings. "The tekko-kagi. Not only is this a useful tool for climbing, it is a dangerous weapon in its own right. I don't imagine I have to tell you why."

"Cool," Naruto said, slipping them on. "Hah, I'll look really scary slinking out of the shadows with a pair of these."

"And it's very practical," Sakura noted with approval.

"Finally, for what I imagine should be your primary weapon, the tekkan." She pulled out something that heavily resembled a katana in shape, but instead of a blade it had a thick length of metal. "Much like the jitte, I doubt you'll break this easily. And it will hurt when you hit, even if the enemy is wearing armour, meaning you don't have to rely on precise hits."

"It's a glorified iron pipe," Sasuke commented dismissively.

"And a favoured weapon among samurai when they can't bring their swords," Tenten remarked. "Don't dismiss its utility."

"Yeah, Sasuke. This is a real samurai weapon," Naruto said with a grin, holding the weapon up.

"Yes. As a second pick when they can't bring their actual weapons," he remarked. "But at least this way, you won't accidentally stab yourself. Or anyone else. I suppose I should be grateful."

"Can we move on before this devolves further? Again?" Sakura inquired exasperatedly.

"Of course. Sakura, you're skilled, strong, enduring and very situationally aware. I decided to find you weapons that could draw from that. Starting with, the tekko." She held out the weapon, a thick band of iron fastened together with a wooden grip, looking much like a stirrup. "It may look simple, but it will enhance the power of your punches. As you improve, you might want to customize it with more metal for added weight, but this should do for a start."

"Oh. Thanks," she said, taking the weapon.

"Secondly, the yoroi-doshi," she said, unveiling her second pick. It was a long knife, but its blade was thicker and more solid than one would usually expect from a knife. "Not only is this an excellent weapon for close quarters, it is designed to penetrate armour. Combined with your strength, most conventional forms of protection will be unable to stand up."

"That is useful," she agreed, taking it. She paused, eyeing her new gear. She felt split on the issue. On one hand, she couldn't help but feel a degree of warmth and happiness at having her talents appreciated. On the other hand, it was a talent for hurting others. She didn't feel like she should be proud of that.

"And that sums it up," Tenten said. "I'll start training you with the weapons as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can practise and get a feel for them."

"And when would that training be?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.

"I have a mission upcoming. So who knows," she replied with a shrug.

"Ugh."

...

Kakashi hurried towards the council room. He had just barely managed to deliver Hanare back to her cell, when he had received a message that an emergency meeting was being held. He didn't even pause to knock on the door to the council chamber. Politeness was for whenever the emergency had passed.

He took a moment to let his single eye wander across the chamber and the three long tables where the Konoha Council would take their seats. The Hokage himself was there, as well as Danzo. There were also others, including some of the clan leaders. None from the civilian branches though, indicating this was a purely military issue. And as he stepped into line, he noted the presence of both Ibiki and Inoichi, leaving him with a sneaking suspicion what this was about.

"Seems we're all here," the Hokage remarked. "Very well. Less than an hour ago, we received a message from Jomae. They have captured one of our jonin, Riichi. They have demanded the exchange of Hanare for him, to be made at Kowareta Bridge."

"On a surface level, this appears most agreeable," Danzo added, as Hiruzen finished. "Hanare has given us nothing of value and the loss of a jonin seems a needless price to pay. However, as you have been working with her, we want your input. Ibiki Morino of the Intelligence Division's Interrogation Department. What say you?"

"Hanare is no doubt a skilled ninja in many ways. As my report stated, she appears to have been heavily trained in resisting interrogation and torture," the large man explained. "She maintained focus despite both deprivation of sleep and food, and while being under the influence of various chemicals. The medical report shows that she is well-trained and in good form. Besides her less than stellar disguise abilities, she is for all intents and purposes an excellent ninja. Of course, that means that we have been highly suspicious of said blunder. Even the ANBU members who took her in remarked on how transparent her infiltration was. And Jomae has been quick to take a hostage themselves. In fact, I doubt our own letter to them informing them about our capture of Hanare has even passed up through the Land of Mountains yet. They must have known we captured her almost immediately. It makes her seem too valuable in my estimation, with the efforts they are going through."

"An excellent point," Danzo agreed.

"Indeed. There may be more to Hanare than we know." Hiruzen sighed, tobacco smoke blowing from his lips. "Nevertheless, we cannot sacrifice Riichi on a gut feeling. Inoichi Yamanaka of the Intelligence Analysis Department. You used your clan's techniques to analyse Hanare's mind. According to your report, you found nothing of value besides an odd remembrance of Kakashi Hatake as a teenager, correct?"

"Indeed," the blond replied. "She has never been to the Lock Village herself and has no knowledge of their operations besides her own task. I would not be exaggerating if I said that we know more about them than she does. Yet I also feel there is something else here. It was why I asked to have Kakashi brought in to assist, since she remembered him, even if he had no recollection of her. I hoped that he would somehow be able to get more out of her."

"Very well, then. Kakashi," Danzo said, shifting his own eye to the man.

"I've been doing my own line of investigation ever since an incident the other day," Kakashi replied. "I accidentally looked into her eyes with my sharingan uncovered. The medics noted upon her blindness, but that is not the entire truth. Her eye is actually performing a jutsu."

"Intriguing," Inoichi noted. "And what does that jutsu do?"

"It was a bit... Out of the norm, which is why I decided to do some investigation on my own before reporting it. I wasn't even sure what it was at first." Kakashi turned to face the man. "When you looked into her mind, you said you saw a house, green fields and me. Did you see anything else?"

"Anything else? Hmm." The man paused, looking contemplative as he reviewed the memories. "Like what?"

"A repeated symbol or object. I suspect it's subtle," the silver-haired jonin remarked.

Inoichi's brow furrowed as he concentrated. "There's... An eye," he said. "Occasionally. Flashing by quickly."

"Right. That eye is the jutsu." He returned his attention to the council. "We've been had. Us catching her, interrogating her, even Inoichi getting brought in. It was all part of Jomae's plan. Truth is, Hanare has actually gotten a lot of info out of us."

Hiruzen leaned forward. "How so?"

"She's not blind. Her jutsu allows her eye to look into her own mind," Kakashi explained. "When Inoichi looked into her thoughts, he could only do so by tying them with his own. While he was extracting her memories, she was looking through his. Not to the same degree, that would have been obvious. But no doubt she's still collected several important pieces of information. Even if they are fragmented, combined with Jomae's information network, they could learn some very dangerous truths about our village."

"So that was the eye," the blond realised.

"Yes."

"And that's why Jomae in trying so hard to get her back," Ibiki rumbled. "They wanted her returned before we realised what is up."

"Indeed. Had Inoichi looked through her mind again, he would no doubt have noticed his own memories suddenly implanted in her mind," Kakashi explained.

"Clever," Danzo noted. "Then there can be no doubt about what we must do. We cannot allow her to go free. Our best option is to eliminate her so that Jomae doesn't benefit from her stolen knowledge."

"And Riichi?" Kakashi asked.

"A shame. But the integrity of our village is paramount," the bandaged man declared.

"Let us not be too hasty giving him up," Hiruzen commented. "We might still be able to save him. But you are right." He folded his hands. "Hanare cannot be allowed to return the stolen information to Jomae."

...

A lone wind howled through the river canyon, which Kowareta Bridge spanned. On one side, several Konoha ninjas stood ready, hands on their weapons just in case. In the front was Kakashi, Hanare at one side and Guy at the other.

On the other side, several foreign ninjas walked out of the wilderness, led by an older man. By his side was Riichi, a jonin ninja with brown hair.

"Ain't that the guy Inoichi described from her memories?" Guy pondered aloud.

"Yes. Her sensei," Kakashi confirmed.

"Ninjas of Konohagakure," the older man called. "We're here to make the exchange. You will send out the prisoner with a single escort and we shall do the same. The exchange will happen at the middle. At the first sign of trickery, we will kill our prisoner."

Riichi looked like he was really hoping that wouldn't happen.

Kakashi eyed Guy, who was looking over his shoulder. Receiving a signal, he turned back to the one-eyed ninja. "They've confirmed it's Riichi. No deception or illusions."

The cyclopean ninja nodded and returned his attention to the ninjas of Jomae. "Your terms are accepted," he called. "I shall escort the prisoner."

The older man nodded. "And I shall escort ours. Let us make the exchange."

The cyclopean ninja took a deep breath. He felt Guy's hand on his shoulder. "Let the fires of your heart guide you," he advised. "And be careful."

"I will."

The two of them began walking forward with measured steps, their respective prisoners following.

"Kakashi," Hanare quietly tried. "I'm... I'm sorry for this."

"Don't be," he quietly replied. "This is how it is among ninja."

She continued to look to him for a moment, before sighing and returning her attention forward.

The two duos paused at the middle.

Then, Hanare and Riichi slowly exchanged position.

"Very well. The exchange has been made," the old man said.

"Indeed," Kakashi remarked.

They all turned around and began walking back to their respective sides.

The cyclopean ninja grabbed Riichi's shoulder and gently pulled him a little closer. "_Run_," he quietly but insistently told him.

The ninja prisoner nodded and began sprinting towards the other side.

Kakashi gave him a moment, then spun around. "Oh, and Hanare?"

The woman and her teacher turned to look at him. Her with a look of confusion, the old man with a look of rising concern, as part of him realised that something had gone wrong.

"You didn't really think we'd let you leave with all that precious info, did you?" the silver-haired jonin asked, pulling his headband up to reveal his sharingan.

Their eyes widened in realisation.

At that moment, dozens upon dozens of explosive tags hidden on the underside of the bridge detonated in a singular, massive detonation, evaporating the bridge's entire support structure in a single mighty flash. The rest of the bridge splintered and fell, gravity immediately ceasing it.

The moment they were freefalling, Kakashi sprang into action. He bent his knees, chakra filling his legs, before he set off, shooting forward through the rain of metal and wood. As he did, he drew his weapon, a tanto, its blade glowing white with charged chakra, drawing a streak through the air.

The old man, unbalanced by the sudden demolition, looked up, his expression becoming one of utter befuddled surprise as Kakashi shot towards him.

With a single move, the blade slammed into his chest with fearsome precision, piercing his heart. He opened his mouth with a gargled cry, as Kakashi kicked himself off again, using the other ninja as a springboard to launch himself out of the debris cloud.

The old man clutched his chest, still caught in surprise, as he slammed into the water of the river below, followed by several tons of bridge material landing on top of him.

Kakashi landed safely on the water, his chakra keeping him from slipping through. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Hanare, who was rushing downriver across the water. Then he set off in pursuit.

Up above, the ninjas of Jomae barely had time to react to the revelation that the gig was up. The moment the bridge started falling into the canyon, Guy bellowed: "FIRE AT WILL!"

Snipers hidden in the trees let go of their bowstrings, precisely aimed arrows hammering into the other ninjas, piercing flesh and breaking bones. Other Konoha ninjas stepped forward and hurled kunai fastened with explosive tags, the chakra infused paper bursting into massive fireballs upon impact, sending the enemy shinobi scattering in full retreat back into the wilderness.

Down below, Kakashi continued his pursuit. Hanare jumped up from the river onto dry land, the silver-haired jonin not far behind.

And then she stopped.

In front of her was only a cliff's edge and a deep fall.

"End of the line," Kakashi said, his blade ready.

"Yeah. It is," she said, turning around.

"I must admit, I am impressed. That jutsu is unlike any I've experienced before," he said. "But I cannot allow you to leave with that information, whatever you managed to gather."

"I know," she replied. She almost looked relieved. "But I'm actually happy it ends this way. With you."

"Uhuh," Kakashi replied, raising his weapon, vary of any trick she might be trying to pull. "How so?"

"That you'll be the one to kill me. In a way, it is what I want." She smiled sadly. "Not that it would have changed much either way. Jomae would have had me killed anyway."

"Why?"

"For treason." She tapped her head. "That information I stole. I deleted it."

"And why should I believe you?" Kakashi asked.

"You don't have to. As I said, it doesn't matter."

"And why would you do that?"

She smiled sadly. "Because I couldn't betray you."

"Betray me? Look, that's very kind of you, but I'm some stranger you've met once and then hung around for a couple days as a prisoner," the silver-haired jonin replied. "So I find that statement doubtful."

"That's okay. You don't have to believe that either. I just wanted you to know how I feel, even if you think I'm lying." She sighed. "It's silly, I know. But... Despite everything... You were the one person who were ever kind to me, expecting nothing in return, demanding nothing in exchange. I was... Just a person to you. But that was more than I ever was to my village. And... You made me happy. So... I could not hurt you by handing out your village's secrets to my own. And for that, I'd die either way. But being killed by you... It's better this way." She looked up, tears in her eyes. "So thank you. For everything. It meant the world to me."

Kakashi stepped closer, still careful in case this was an elaborate ruse. He raised his weapon and placed its edge against her throat. Their eyes met once more. And for a moment, time seemed to freeze.

Might Guy leapt from rock to rock, following the river. It didn't take him long to find footprints in the dust, leading away from the river. Following them, he came upon Kakashi, standing alone at the edge of the cliffside, looking down at the wilderness below.

"There you are," he said relieved. "Splendid work at the bridge. Those Jomae ninjas were caught completely unprepared." He paused, observing the silver-haired shinobi. "Did you get her?"

Kakashi turned around. "It's over," he said. "With her and her sensei both being KIA, this threat to Konoha has been dealt with."

Guy studied his face with concern for a moment, then broke into a warm smile. "I see. That is good to hear. Come, let's go and celebrate this moment of victory. For it is through these moments that comrades and rivals alike forge bonds as strong as the heart of the mountains."

"I could actually go for a drink right about now," Kakashi admitted, as he began following Guy back towards the others. He paused briefly, looking back towards the cliff. Faintly, the sound of a shamisen being tuned was carried to him on the wind. Then he continued onwards.


	4. Ghost of a Chance

**Chapter 4: Ghost of a Chance**

It had been a nice day in Konohagakure. When Naruto had been handed a minor assignment by Kakashi, there had been nothing but blue skies and warm winds outside. Even as he had headed out of town into the hillier regions, it had been nothing but a few clouds. And sure, when he handed over the message to the R&D department, it had been slightly colder, but he had thought little of it. It was getting kinda late, after all.

And it had been such a nice day.

And then it had stopped being such a nice day, leaving Naruto to run down the cliffside road, his clothes soaked by the relentless downpour falling from the dark sky, with each droplet being slammed against him by howling winds. A flash of lightning rend the skies, briefly illuminating the rocky landscape.

"Stupid weather," Naruto groaned as he charged onwards. "Where's Yota when you need some sunshine? Can't wait to get home and get a big, hot bowl of ramen after this. Kakashi better not have any more errands or..." His perpetual complaining was cut off as the road under him cracked, the earth that had supported it gone with the rain. The blond gave a loud holler as gravity mercilessly seized him. He swung his arms around, trying to stop his fall, pulses of chakra shooting through his limbs as he tried to attach himself. But the wet, bare stones and soft, muddy dirt, all made slicker by the relentless rain, gave little for him to grab hold of, only allowing him to slow his downward slide somewhat. He fell, landing in the muddy ravine with a plop.

"Ugh... Terrific," he groaned, pulling himself out of the muck. "Now my clothes are wet _and _dirty. If Kakashi has any more letters, he can go deliver them himself." He rubbed his fingers, sore and cold from the treatment they'd endured. He scanned the cliffside, trying to find some way to get back up. Seeing nothing too stable, he elected to continue along the ravine, hoping that either a way up or out would present itself.

It was even darker down between the cliffs, the shadows of the mountains blocking what little light the clouds overhead had allowed through. Each step he took was an effort, as his feet kept getting stuck in the thick layer of mud, water steadily pooling around his ankles as the rain continued. He began seriously considering the possibility that the area would soon be flooded from the downpour, which just added a sense of urgency to the already miserable circumstances. He groaned in annoyance at the series of unfortunate events that had led him to being trapped in the canyon, then paused as he managed to notice something through the inky blackness.

Something was blocking the way. Something big. He carefully stepped closer to identify the obstacle, before reaching out with his hand, feeling the cold, rough texture of a boulder.

And then another flash of lightning briefly illuminated the huge rock.

Naruto stared.

A single oblong piece of paper with ink on it, a paper talisman, was attached to the stone. Around it was a dark mark, both the size and shape of a man, almost as if somebody's shadow had been glued to its surface. And then darkness fell again.

The blond could feel his heart hammer rapidly. Something about this felt wrong. And yet, his curiosity was eating away at him. With shaky hands, he reached out, finding the talisman with his fingers. He slowly leaned in, trying to read the name inscribed on it. He squinted and slowly read: "Ki... Kis... Man, it's dirty. How long has it been here?" There was another flash of lightning and roar of thunder. Naruto, already on edge, yelped and pulled back reflexively. He paused, then stared as the paper talisman in his hand, now unattached to the boulder. "Oh... Oops." He eyed the marked stone with dread, then slowly edged around it, before hurrying along the canyon as fast as he could, never looking back at the ominous object he had found.

Soon after, he found a low point he could crawl up, letting him back on the road. And then he hurried home as fast as he could, as much driven by the desire to be back with his family as the need to put as much distance between him and the canyon as possible, the strange talisman now stuffed in his pocket.

Lightning ripped through the skies again, illuminating the boulder once more, its surface now bare.

...

The blond had been on edge when he came home. But a hug from his father, a few jokes from his sister, a nice warm bath and a very big bowl of ramen later, relaxation had drowned out the anxiety. By the time he finally crawled into bed, he had just about forgotten everything about the rock and the strange talisman. He drew the duvet up around himself as the rain pounded his window and soon after, Naruto fell asleep.

His dreams were a morass of images and sounds. He was on a mission to deliver something, though in hindsight he had no clue what. But deliver it he did and his father was very proud. And Sakura was there and she hugged him, telling him how good a ninja he was. Hugged him real tight. Almost painfully so. The dream faded, to be replaced with the darkness of the inside of his eyelids. But the pressure was still there. He groaned, trying to move. It felt like somebody had placed a big stone on his chest, threatening to compress it. Enough so that he couldn't even properly turn over. He groggily opened his eyes, his room now illuminated by rays of moonlight.

Sitting on his chest, looking down with a nonplussed expression, was a middle-aged man, his face framed by shoulder-length locks of brown hair, his body wrapped in a moss-green kimono.

The blond stared for but a second before his neurons kicked into gear.

Naruto screamed loudly at the intruder, his arms shooting out and flailing about, frantically reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

The man, for his part, began screaming bloody murder too, leaping backwards out of the bed.

Pushing himself back with his legs, Naruto was pressed against the the wall, hands on a nearby lamp. The man stood pressed against the other side of the room, nervously eyeing the young ninja.

The silence that had followed their dual screaming persisted for only a short moment, before the door was kicked open, Teuchi jumping in wielding an iron wok like a mace. "NARUTO!? WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHAT'S WRONG!?"

"Ehm... That guy?" the jinchuriki said, pointing to the other man in the room.

Teuchi stared at the obviously confused stranger, as Ayame slid into view behind the ramen cook, a cooking knife in her hand. "Hey, what's going on? What's all the screaming about?"

"We've got an intruder," Teuchi stated, pointing his wok at the unknown person. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you all doing here?" he asked, pointing accusingly at them.

"Ehm... We live here," Naruto tried.

"You do?" the man asked.

"Yeah. For many years, as it happens," Ayame replied. "Where do you think you are?"

"Ehm... Home," the man tried forlornly.

"Well, you're not, Mister," Naruto grumpily commented. "This is our home. In fact, this is my room. How did you even get in here?"

"Ehm... Hmm..." The man rubbed his chin contemplatively. "I... I don't know."

"Okay," Ayame slowly commented. "Let's try something else. Where do you live then?"

"At home."

She face-palmed. "Could you be more specific?"

"Of course... I... I live... In a house," he tried. "I... Maybe there was a garden." He grasped his head. "I... Can't remember."

Teuchi scratched his neck. "What's you name?"

"I... I can't..."

"Remember," Ayame finished. "Terrific. If he's pulling a fast one, he's a damn good actor. He looks as confused as he sounds."

Naruto looked around. "How did he get in? My windows are closed and everything."

"All I remember is waking up sitting on you," the man explained.

"You... You sat on..." Teuchi stated. "Why would you..."

"I don't _remember_, okay," the man snapped. "I... I can't remember anything. How... How did I get here? Who am I?"

"Hey, it's okay. Tell you what, how about we whip up some ramen, Dad?" Ayame asked. "Get ourselves a nice warm midnight snack before we go get some guards so this poor soul can get some help."

"Sound like an idea. How about you, Naruto?" Teuchi asked.

"Heh, I'm always up for ramen, Pops," the blond said happily, leaping out of bed. "What about you, Mister?"

"I... I think I like ramen," he tried and approached. Only to stop, as he noticed the trio's eyes widen. "What? What is it?"

"Ehm... How are you feeling?" Teuchi tried, as he felt Naruto latch onto him tightly.

"Okayish," the man responded. "Why?"

"Take a look at yourself," the ramen cook advised.

The intruder looked confused, before looking down. He froze, an expression of shock on his face. Having stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight streaming in through the windows, it had become clear that his body was translucent, his lower body fading away into nothing just below his knees. He looked up at them. "What... What am I?"

"I think... You're a ghost," Ayame stated.

"I'm..." the man began, his voice breaking. "I'm dead?"

...

Teuchi put the bowl down in front of Naruto, who began eating while keeping a wary eye on the spectral guest by the table. The ghost sat on one of the chairs, a sad expression visible through his hair, which hung like a curtain due to his hunched position.

"So," Teuchi started. "Do you want ramen or... Would that just... Fall through?" He paused, waiting to see if the man would reply. "I'll just wait with getting you a bowl then."

Ayame finished slurping up some noodles. "So you have no memory of how you died?"

"No," he hoarsely said. "I can barely remember anything. It's like... I know things." He looked around. "That's a chair, this is ramen, that's a lamp. But names, places... It's all vague."

"Well, in the stories I heard as a child, ghosts usually have some sort of purpose they need to finish," the woman continued. "But if you can't even remember how you died, then..." She paused to think, eating some more ramen. "Maybe we should find out why you're haunting us first."

"I don't know. I just came to in his room," the ghost replied. "I feel so lost." He clutched his head. "My mind feels so blank and hollow."

Naruto's nervous expression softened into concern, as he observed their undead guest's misery. "Hey, Mister," he began. "Don't worry. We'll help you."

The spirit looked back, managing a weak smile. "Thank you. I mean that. I just wish I could help."

"Let's see, in the stories we used to tell, ghosts were usually tragic. Betrayed lovers, star-crossed lovers, lots of lovers," Ayame continued. "Other times, they were offended by the actions of the living." She paused, then called into the kitchen: "Hey, Dad, did you built this place on somebody's grave?"

"What? No, of course not," the cook said, poking his head out of the kitchen. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just checking," she replied while shrugging, causing her father to roll his eyes. "Disturbing graves is a common motif."

"Wait, grave," Naruto suddenly said. "I remember now. While I was in the mountains. Near the research place."

"Naruto, what have we said about defiling graves?" Ayame sternly asked him.

"Oh shut up," the blond fired back, earning a chuckle from her. "I didn't disturb a grave. At least, not intentionally."

"So what happened?" Teuchi asked. "I don't remember there being any graves up there."

"I was on my way home, when I accidentally fell down into the canyon," he began.

"There's that ninja grace at work," his older sister deadpanned.

"Hey, it was really raining a lot and the road collapsed," Naruto replied. "I'd like to see you do better."

"And then you found my grave?" the ghost asked.

"I mean... Maybe," the blond tried. "I found this huge rock. And there was a talisman on it. And this weird... Person-shaped shadow. I took a look at the talisman and accidentally ripped it off." He snapped his fingers. "In fact, I put it in my pocket. Hang on." He jumped out of his chair and ran off.

"A talisman," Teuchi mumbled. "Sounds like you were sealed away."

"But that still doesn't explain who I am. Or why," the spectre replied.

"No. But it is a start."

Naruto returned with the wet piece of paper. "Here it is."

"Let me see," Ayame said, taking the talisman. "Man, this is dirty. It says... Kisuke. Can't read the rest."

"Kisuke. Is that my name?" the spirit wondered.

"Would make sense," Teuchi speculated. "They say that knowing a spirit's name gives you power over it. Could also be the name of the sealer, I suppose. Either way, it's a clue."

"I suppose so," the man said. "Kisuke. Kisuke." He closed his eyes, as if getting a feel for the name. "It sounds... Right. I think... Yes, I'm pretty sure this is my name."

"Well, then we have something to call you," Ayame commented. "So what now?"

"I could ask around," Naruto suggested. "See if anyone knows Kisuke."

"And we could ask any customers coming by," Teuchi suggested. "We should be able to ask a lot of people that way."

"Just be careful," Ayame noted. "You know how some people will get if you start asking them questions."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the young ninja replied. "Not like they have anything useful to say anyway."

"Can I come with you?" Kisuke asked. "I'd like to be there in case you find anything."

"Sure. We'll help you remember it all. Believe it," Naruto stated.

"Yes, well, first, you need to get the rest of your sleep," Teuchi informed him. "Believe that."

The young ninja sighed. "Yes, Dad."

...

Naruto was used to getting stares. That was not to say he liked it, but whenever he moved around town, there were always someone who'd glare at him, like he'd just taken a bath in a dungheap. But today, not unexpectedly, everyone turned their head. No doubt because of the spectre hovering just behind the young ninja.

"Hey, Miss," Naruto began, walking up to a shop selling fish, a broad-shouldered lady manning it.

The fishmonger barely noticed the blond's approach, instead staring at the apparition behind the jinchuriki.

"Hey, down here," Naruto continued. "Do you know anyone named Kisuke?"

"Ki-Kisuke?" she replied. "Who's that?"

"This guy. Trying to help him remember who he was," Naruto explained, gesturing to his undead companion.

"Ehm... I... No. That name is not familiar to me."

"Okay then," the blond said and moved on, the fishmonger staring after them.

"We've been at this for an hour," Kisuke complained. "Maybe I'm not even from around here."

"Maybe. But I'm not giving up yet," Naruto assured him. "Besides, Sis and Pops are asking people dropping by for ramen. Even if we don't find anything, they might."

"I hope so. It is nice to be able to remember my name, but still," the ghost noted. "I feel empty. Like, I know there should be more to me, but there isn't."

Naruto paused outside the kiosk. "I'll go ask Akuyama. Maybe you've bought something from him."

"Maybe. I dunno," Kisuke sighed, as the blond ran off.

Entering the store, the young ninja immediately had to step aside as another man walked out. "Oh, hey, excuse me. Mister, can I ask you..." He paused as the man glared at him, before walking of. Naruto scowled at the treatment, which turned into a faint smirk when he heard the man scream in shock outside. "That's what you get when you don't listen." He turned towards the counter. "Hey, Akuyama."

"Hello, Naruto," the man replied. "If you're here to buy one of everything again, I must inform you that only a few of the magazines have sent out new editions."

"Oh, no... I haven't, ehm..." He coughed. "Haven't gotten through all the other ones yet."

"I see."

"I, actually, I was actually here to ask if you know anyone by the name of Kisuke. I'm doing a bit of investigation."

"Kisuke. Kisuke." Akuyama furrowed his brows. "Name sounds familiar." He went over to a nearby filing cabinet and opened it. "Let's see... There's a couple of them. One Kisuke Takatsukasa ordered the decade compilation issue of Ryuchi Revealed. Another one, Kisuke Amano, ordered the Beginner's Guide to Metalsmithing. And the last one, Kisuke Maboroshi, wanted the tulip compilation issue of Green Greens."

"Ryuchi... Oh. That one," the blond remarked, scratching the back of his head. "The one with the snakes."

"That's all I know," Akuyama replied, shutting the cabinet. "Any help?"

"Maybe. I'll have to compare notes. But thanks," Naruto said as he left.

As he exited the kiosk, the blond noted two things. One, Kisuke was kneeling by some wild flowers sprouting through a gap in the road, inspecting it with a look of almost peaceful calm. And not far from him stood Kiba and Akamaru, staring at the spirit.

"Hey, Kiba, what's up?" Naruto asked as he walked over.

"Just wondering what was in my breakfast," Kiba replied. "I think I'm seeing things."

"Seeing things? Oh, Kisuke here," Naruto replied. "Nah, he's there. He's a ghost."

"Say what?" Akamaru barked. "A ghost?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to help him find out who he is," the blond continued. "So he can move on and all that."

"Really?" Kiba shifted his gaze to the ghost once more. "So, you're telling me ghosts exist?"

"Well, Kisuke does, so... Yeah."

"That's weird."

"Why?"

Kiba shrugged. "Just figured, they say ghosts come about because of tragic events. Seems like with the way the world is, there should be a ton of ghosts everywhere if that was true."

"Yeah, well, I don't know," Naruto replied, throwing his hands in the air. "Maybe he's special or something. Maybe he's the only ghost."

The other ninja smiled, showing his prominent canines. "Bet you're hoping that's the case."

"What's that supposed to mean," the blond challenged him.

"You always look ready to piss yourself whenever we tell ghost stories," Kiba teased him. "You're scared of them."

The blond blushed. "Am-Am not," he insisted. "Ghosts don't scare me. I'm a great ninja now, so-so if a ghost tries anything, I'll just punch them."

"Punch a ghost? Are you even listening to how stupid you sound?" Akamaru asked bemused.

"What's going on?" Kisuke asked, as he floated over.

"Nothing," Naruto quickly said. "Anyway, Akuyama said three Kisuke's had ordered something from him. A snake magazine, a smithing magazine and a tulip magazine."

"Tulip magazine. Tulips." The ghost's brows furrowed. "I don't know why but... Tulips sound right."

"Well, then you might be Kisuke Maboroshi," Naruto noted. "How does that sound?"

The spirit paused, contemplating the name. "I feel... I feel that it is me."

"Awesome," Naruto said. "Now we've got something to go on. Hey, Kiba, could you ask around at home if anyone knows somebody named Kisuke Maboroshi?"

"Sure thing," the other ninja replied. "Me and Akamaru will drop by if we find anything."

...

The Hokage let his eyes fall over the a council meeting room. A massive chamber, with many seats and tables, enough that all representatives of Konohagakure could comfortably meet under one roof. Though today, only the leaders of the village's ninjas, the heads of the clans and an assortment of respected veterans, were in attendance. At his own table, on one side sat Danzo. On the other sat an elderly man with glasses and an elderly woman, her grey hair tied up in twin buns. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. His old teammates, now part of the esteemed veterans who lent their wisdom to the council. He returned his attention to the middle of the room, where by a large table stood one of their jonin, the ninja Sabiru. A middle-aged man with blond hair. And he was the current focus of everyone's attention.

Sabiru waited patiently for everyone to settle in. "Honoured members of the council," he began. "There have been concerns recently about the future welfare and security of our village. Recent events have certainly given cause for such and with the chuunin exam upcoming, we'll soon be pushed to our limit. To ensure that this year's chuunin exam runs smoothly, I propose a radical restructuring of our defences. As you have no doubt already looked over the plans, I will not waste your valuable time by going over the details. Suffice to say, I believe that with these major adjustments, we'll be able to cover more ground more quickly when it comes to our outlying borders, while also keeping as many eyes on the city itself as possible. It will also ensure a pattern of cycling among our ninjas that will help keep them refreshed and ready."

There was a low hum through the room, as many of the representatives exchanged words with the people beside them.

Danzo leaned forward. "As the architect of these plans, no doubt you are aware of the gaps that your cycling idea would cause in the defences."

"It is true that certain posts would be temporarily unmanned under certain circumstances," Sabiru admitted. "But it was designed with the idea of being functional even when our resources are strained. The proposed strategy is complete coverage, even if most of our active ninjas are on mission, or occupied during an event like the chuunin exam. During calmer times, it can easily be adjusted to close those gaps. Besides, even at peak capacity, those holes are so temporary, they would only be exploitable by someone who knows the system inside out. It would require, in other words, an inside man."

Choza Akimichi, a massive man with an impressive mane of crimson-dyed hair, asked: "And what about if the enemy were to spy on us over a prolonged period of time? Would they not also be able to eventually spot these gaps?"

"My team is currently working on a plan for switching segments of the patrols around over time," Sabiru explained. "This will allow us an element of unpredictability without sacrificing the overall structure of the plan. Once finalized, they'd be able to watch us for years without ever finding a decisive pattern."

"It is a radical proposal," Hiruzen spoke. "And so close to the chuunin exam too."

"I understand that, but I believe that is exactly why we must act now," Sabiru insisted. "Security must be paramount for this event and this plan is our best shot at getting the best possible defence. The sooner we implement it, the better."

Magiko Uchiha, a slender, raven-haired woman who served as steward for the Uchiha clan, stated: "The plan seems sound enough. But besides the fact that your team is still working on a schedule to make the defence strategy less transparent, whether or not we should implement it before the chuunin exam is a completely separate question."

"I must agree," Homura said, his voice withered but firm. "I propose we vote for its acceptance as future defence strategy now and then adjourn the meeting. We shall gather again tomorrow when everyone has had time to think. Then we will decide if we shall hurry to adapt it before the exam."

"A most sensible proposal," Hiruzen noted. "Before the vote, does anyone else have anything to add? No? Then how many approve of the implementation of this strategy?" He paused, while votes were counted. "The majority is for this strategy. Then let it be so. We shall meet again tomorrow to discuss its implementation. Sabiru, can your team finish the proposal for exchangeable patrol segments before then?"

"I can guarantee that we can have a plan for the first couple of months," Sabiru replied. "It should still give an idea of what it will entail."

"That is acceptable. Meeting adjourned." There was an echoing rumbling of scooting chairs and tables as people got up.

Sabiru gathered his papers and exited the doors, passing by Kakashi and another ninja who had been standing guard outside.

"Really now? A ghost?" Kakashi asked.

"Swear by the Sage," the other ninja said. "Hovering behind the boy like a grim omen. Saw straight through him."

"And you're sure this is not some sort of prank on his behalf?" the silver-haired jonin inquired.

"I'm sure. He was asking everybody if they knew somebody named Kisuke."

"Kisuke? Huh. I'm not personally familiar with anyone with that name," Kakashi admitted.

"I'm sorry, did you say a ghost?" Sabiru inquired, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Apparently Naruto found one. He's running around town asking everyone if they know him," the ninja explained.

"Perhaps we should send one of our own to investigate," Kakashi commented. "If it really is a spirit of some sort. But I'm currently on guard duty, so..."

"I'll look into it," the blond tactician offered. "I have to drop off the council's decision with the Tactics and Defence Department, but then I can check that out."

"Hey, thanks, Sabiru," the ninja who had seen the ghost said. "You sure it won't be too much, what with you also trying to get that new defence plan implemented?"

"No, I'll find the time," the blond ninja remarked. "Seems like something worth looking into."

...

Naruto tapped his fingers against the railings of the crimson bridge, which spanned one of the canals that ran through the city. "Man, you did not have a lot of friends, did you?"

"I guess not," the ghost of Kisuke sighed. "All we found out so far is that I liked gardening."

"Maybe I could ask Kakashi for help," the blond mumbled, arms folded as he contemplated. "Maybe we've got some sort of archive."

"There you are, Naruto!" a frustrated voice called out.

The blond whipped his head around, immediately identifying Sakura stomping towards him across the bridge, looking none too pleased. "Oh, ehm, Hey, Sakura. Funny running into you here."

"Where have you been?" she asked, stepping ever closer as Naruto began slowly backing away. "We were supposed to train together today with the new weapons we've ordered, but did you show up? No. I had to stop training and come look for you. What is wrong with you? Are you even taking this seriously at all?"

"Wait, wait," the blond insisted, as the pink-haired ninja was right in front of him and looking ready to throw him off the bridge. "Hear me out, okay?"

She paused, fuming.

The jinchuriki pointed to his left. "That guy."

Sakura looked and finally noticed the spectre hanging there. "Ehm... Eh, hello."

"Pleased to meet you," Kisuke said and reached out with a hand. Sakura tried to shake it, but her hand slid right through. "I'm apparently Kisuke Maboroshi."

Sakura's green eyes darted between the phantom and Naruto, apparently hoping for some sort of explanation.

"He's dead and I'm trying to help him resolve his business so he can move on," the blond elaborated. "But he can't remember anything, so we've been running around Konoha all day looking for leads."

"Of course you'd be," she sighed, rubbing her temples. "Naruto, I deeply respect your desire to help others. But could you next time at least send us a message?"

"Sorry," the blond forlornly replied. "I just kinda forgot with all this ghost stuff."

"Right. Well, my training has already been interrupted," the pink-haired ninja remarked. "Might as well help you out. So, where have you been and what have you found out?"  
"I've been all over the markets and main street. Pops and Sis are asking any customer coming by and Kiba said he'd ask his family," Naruto explained. "So far, only Akuyama had anything. Apparently his full name is Kisuke Maboroshi and he likes tulips. So I guess it's something."

"Maybe we could ask at the Hokage's office. They may not let us see the personnel file archive, but maybe they would be willing to look for us," Sakura speculated. "Wait, hang on. Kisuke Maboroshi you say?"

"Does my name sound familiar?" the ghost asked with rising hope.

"Think I saw it when I was at the hospital a couple of days ago with Ino," Sakura answered. "Delivering some flowers ordered for some patients."

"What, you were delivering flowers to the morgue?" Naruto asked confused.

"Obviously not," came the dry reply.

"Then where'd you see his name?"

"On one of the rooms." She eyed the spectre. "But I get what you're saying. You're wondering why he'd be a ghost if he isn't dead. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of knowledge of ghosts. They are souls trapped in a body of chakra that allows them to mimic their own appearance, sometimes having other powers. But they are such rare phenomena that most stories are nothing but pure myth and legend."

"Thankfully," Naruto muttered.

"So I don't know. Maybe I've got the wrong guy or maybe there's some other explanation," she offered. "We can at least check it out."

"I agree. It's worth a shot," Kisuke interjected.

The three hurried over to the Konohagakure hospital. Making their way through the waiting sick or injured people by the entrance, they were soon after permitted entry into the facility, after showing off their ID.

"Now, where was it?" Sakura mumbled, as she led them down the hallway. "I think it was around here."

"I mean... They wouldn't just have a dead dude lying around," Naruto commented. "So, what if it is Kisuke? What does that mean?"

"I don't know."

"Me neither," Kisuke added. "But, maybe... It'll mean something."

"Ah, here it is." The pink-haired shinobi pointed to a name on the door. "Kisuke Maboroshi. Let's check." She gently knocked on the door, waiting a moment for some sort of answer, before entering, the ghost and Naruto following along.

The room was simple and sparsely decorated. A single white bed took up the centre, behind which the sun shone in through several windows. By the bed stood a machine, beeping at regular intervals, plastic tubes and wire attached to the figure in the bed. And lying still in that bed, almost as if asleep, was Kisuke.

"It's me," the ghost remarked. "But... I'm alive."

"In a coma, if I had to guess from the machinery," Sakura noted. "You're not even capable of breathing on your own as you are."

"So you can become a ghost without dying. Weird," Naruto remarked. He looked up to the spectre, noticing that the ghost's face was scrunched up. "Hey, you okay there?"

"I... Remember something," he groaned. "It was raining. I... There was another... Why can't I remember?"

"Well, if you're here, then the hospital might have some more info on you," Sakura remarked. "We might even be able to access it, unless one of the higher ups have ranked that information as sensitive."

"What would we do then?" Naruto asked.

"Ask Kakashi to help. But if we as genin can see it, then bothering him when he's busy seems a waste," she remarked. "Let's get back to the lobby."

As they returned to the front of the hospital, they found Kiba and Akamaru waiting for them on one of the rows of chairs. "There you are," Kiba said, getting up. "I've been looking for you, Naruto."

"Hey, Kiba. How did you find us here?" the blond inquired.

"Caught your scent while looking for you. Easy peasy with a nose like mine," Kiba remarked. "By the way, you might want to bathe a little more often. Don't want to make it too easy for enemy bloodhounds, you know."

"What are you, my mother?" Naruto asked annoyed. "I don't need to be told to bathe by you. So what did you need me for?"

"Oh, right." Kiba's face became serious. "Asked my mother. Her and some of the others were out helping the police the other day, looking for Kisuke." He sighed. "Fished him out of the river."

"And that's why he's in the hospital," Sakura remarked. "Did she say anything else?"

Kiba glanced at the ghost. "You won't like it. Trust me on that one, pal."

"Please, tell me," Kisuke pleaded. "I need to know, even if it isn't much."

"If it wasn't much, that would be the least of your problems." He folded his arms. "You're the main suspect in a murder investigation. They think you killed your wife, burned your house down and threw yourself into the river."

"I... What?" the spirit hoarsely asked. "Why... Why would..."

"Beats me. They're guessing that you snapped under pressure from your work. You were part of the Konoha police," Kiba continued.

"You'd think more people would remember one of the police," Naruto remarked.

"He apparently worked in the archives. He wouldn't be hitting the streets much."

Sakura absorbed the information, then looked to the spirit. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Horrible. I... Am I... Such a vile person," he asked, his voice hollow. "Is that why I can't remember? Am I... Mad?"

Naruto chewed on his lips. "Something's weird about this?"

"Oh?" Sakura asked.

"Because of the way I found him. Oh, right, I never got to tell you that," he said, thinking back. "I found this stone up in the mountains with a seal on it bearing his name. I accidentally ripped if off. Pretty sure that's why he showed up in our house."

"A rock with a seal?" Kiba echoed.

"Yeah. Here, I still have it." He pulled the paper from his pocket. "See. It has his name on it."

"That's odd," Sakura remarked, investigating the tag. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know. But... I think there's more to this story," Naruto remarked.

"Well, what are we going to do about it now?" Kiba asked.

"Our plan was to ask for any information the hospital had on him. That still seems like the best option," Sakura noted. "Kiba, can you go inform your mother that we suspect there's foul play involved? Then find Kakashi and tell him about this too."

"Alright, I'll get going then."

"Should we wait for Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"I don't think that's necessary. Might as well get what info we can before we meet up with him," the pink-haired ninja noted, as she stepped up to the front desk.

...

The warm wind washed across the plants, making them gently sway in the wind. Greenery gave way to scorched earth, blackened timbers unsteadily leaning against each other, forming the sombre outline of what had once been a home.

"Well, here we are," Sakura quietly remarked. They had been given an address by the hospital staff, which had taken them to one of the outlying areas of Konohagakure. And as Kiba had informed them, the house had been burnt down.

Kisuke just stared, then quietly hovered forward to inspect the scene of the disaster.

"Man, what a mess," Naruto sighed, trying to get a glimpse of the ruined interior through the windows. "I wonder if there's any clues left here?"

"Doubt it," Sakura replied. "What the blaze didn't destroy would quickly have been tracked down by any ninjas assisting the police."

Kisuke just stared. The hollowness in his mind throbbed painfully, as if he knew on some level that this was the home he had lost, even if so much was still nothing but fog. He felt like crying, though his current form possessed no such capability. He averted his eyes from the ashen husk, instead looking to the garden in the front. Despite having been quite near the conflagration, only a few of the tulips seemed to have taken damage. Most of them still seemed to be thriving.

They had put a lot of work into making that garden.

His eyes suddenly widened. It felt like some part of him was cracking, like a dam in his mind reaching its limit.

Naruto looked up at him. "Mister, you okay?"

The ghosts eyes widened, his mouth agape in a soundless scream. His hands clutched his head as memories began flooding in, smashing against his mind like waves of the tide. Flashes of yesterdays popped into his thoughts, exploding with emotion like fireworks.

"Kisuke? Kisuke!" Sakura called. "Can... Can you hear us?"

The ghost doubled over, his form crackling as his focus was disrupted, his mind trying to encompass the forgotten knowledge that now relentlessly pounded away at his soul. "I..." he said, his voice wavering. "I remember... Everything." He suddenly winced, actual pain shooting through him, causing his outline began to flicker.

"Hey, you alright?" Naruto asked worried.

"Something's... Wrong..." he groaned, flickering again. "The... The hospital. Something's happening." He screamed in pain, his spectral form briefly fading from view, only to reappear.

"The hospital. His body," Sakura realised. "Naruto, we have to go."

"Yeah, got ya," the blond agreed, as the two left the suffering spirit behind, hurrying back towards the hospital.

...

Naruto rushed in through the hospital doors, quickly followed by Sakura, the two of them nimbly making their way through the confused people in the lobby, making it to the front desk in record time.

"You two, this is a hospital, not a training course," the nurse behind the desk informed them.

"Apologies," Sakura replied. "But we heard something. Is Kisuke Maboroshi okay?"

"Is that already going around town?" the doctor next to the desk commented. "I suppose I can't blame people. It's horrible."

"What do you mean?" Naruto nervously asked.

"The equipment malfunctioned. We didn't notice until it was too late," the doctor replied. "I'm sorry, but we couldn't save him."

"No," Naruto hoarsely uttered. "But... We were going to help him."

"I'm sure he would have appreciated that," the nurse said sympathetically. "But there's nothing we can do."

"I'll demand the board opens an investigation," the doctor sternly continued. "I will not have our equipment fail on us like that. The people of Konoha need to know they will be safe here."

"Then... We'll be taking our leave," Sakura sighed and the two left.

"I can't believe this," Naruto commented sadly. "Do you really think their machinery just failed?"

"Could be, but no," the pink-haired ninja replied. "I suspect sabotage. But if they're opening an investigation, they will find out soon enough."

"And just when he remembered things," the blond bemoaned. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Maybe Kakashi can help us keep the investigation going," Sakura suggested, as they exited the hospital.

Whereupon the two were greeted by the sight of Kakashi and Kiba conversing with the spectral form of Kisuke on the lawn in front of the hospital.

"Ki-Kisuke," Naruto uttered surprised, as the two approached. "You're alive?"

"Well, no, I'm actually very dead now," the ghost informed them. "I think I can will myself to remain for a bit longer, though I admit I'm pretty sure I don't have much time."

"Quite the find, Naruto" Kakashi commented. "Must admit, did not see this coming. I hear you two have been investigating."

"Yes, Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura replied. "We have so far managed to identify him as Kisuke Maboroshi, a member of the Konoha police and prime suspect of a murder-suicide case."

"But we think that's a load of nonsense," Naruto added, lacing his fingers behind his head. "We think someone else is involved."

"Yes. Kisuke hinted at that." The silver-haired jonin turned to the spectre. "Now then, they're here. What happened?"

"As I they said, I was part of the Konoha police," Kisuke explained. "I worked in the archives. In fact, I rarely got much outside while at work. The Uchiha Massacre cost us so much personnel, we've practically constantly been behind ever since. But not long ago, I began sorting through some new documents that came in. They were pieces of a draft for a defence strategy, that had been through review from different departments."

"Defence strategy you say?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yeah. The thing was, individually there was nothing wrong. I mean, there were flaws, but notes indicated that the man behind the proposal had been informed," Kisuke explained. "But when you combined them together, it was a defence initiative for the entirety of Konoha. And taken together, it was quite obvious that it had to have been designed with failure in mind. It included numerous repeating flaws that would be exploitable. I was sure it was intentional."

"So you began investigating?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes. I began looking into the man behind the proposal, a jonin named Sabiru. I collected all documents on his drafts and began investigating him. Of course, I had limited access to certain resources, but I managed to piece enough together to form a very suspicious picture. Sabiru sent several pieces of a draft to different departments for review, so he could create a proposal that would look functional, but would allow him to easily let enemy forces into the city. I think he expected the initial proposals would have been buried under all the work my department still had to catch up to. It's only because I went through the newly arrived documents that I noticed. Unfortunately, I guess he in turn noticed my investigation. I was on my way to interrogate the people up in the R&D department when he confronted me." He went quiet. "I had hidden my documents at home and told my wife that if anything happened to me, she was to present it to the Hokage. But I guess he found out. By the time he found me, he had already killed her and set my house ablaze to destroy the evidence."

"That... Bastard," Kiba growled.

"We fought. But he was a jonin and I was an archivist. I fell into the ravine and he followed. To ensure that I would never say anything, he sealed my soul in that rock you found, Naruto."

"Why was that necessary?" Naruto commented.

"Certain jutsus can salvage information even from a dead man," Kakashi informed him. "Sealing his soul away in a place he was unlikely to be found was probably to ensure that info he had could not be regained."

"I agree. He probably wanted to make it looked like a murder-suicide to lead any follow-up investigation astray," Kisuke guessed. "But when he heard Naruto was waltzing around with my spirit, he must have realised he was at risk of being exposed. So he opted to kill me before I could remember anything."

"So he snuck into the hospital and sabotaged your equipment," Sakura surmised.

"Sounds like it," Kakashi said. "There's only one problem with all this."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Evidence. Or rather, a complete lack of it," the jonin explained. "Even the eye-witness account of this ghost friend of yours would be suspect due to the circumstances."

"But we can't let them implement a plan designed to undermine our village's security," Sakura said. "Can't we at least get them to delay?"

"Maybe. But with all evidence burnt to the ground, we won't have much to go on," Kakashi noted. "And with something this serious, half-measures won't do. No, we need more evidence." He folded his arms. "Perhaps we can yet trick him into exposing himself. Sabiru has been very busy due to these meetings. In fact, he should be preparing right now to present some additions for the final vote. So he has probably only had so much time to learn about Naruto's investigation."

"Which we can use against him," Sakura remarked. "And if he thinks he got rid of Kisuke for good by killing him, that's another blind spot."

"Indeed. Now, Naruto, how would you approach this situation?" Kakashi asked.

"Why you asking me?" the blond said surprised.

"Just because the fate of our village is at stake doesn't mean I can't take the opportunity to teach you something."

"Ugh. Fine." He folded his arms. "I'd present the Hokage with Kisuke here."

"Ah, but Naruto, we already established that wouldn't be enough," Kakashi admonished him. "We need more."

"Remember, Sabiru thinks Kisuke is gone," Sakura reminded him.

"Hmm, then... If we need him to confess... I've got it," Naruto said. "I'd disguise myself as Kisuke and burst in during their meeting. That's bound to take him by surprise when he sees the guy he killed come back."

"Yes, I figured you'd say something like that," Kakashi noted. "Anyway, that would fail."

"What? Why?"

"Because all Sabiru would have to do to ruin it for you is prove that you're not Kisuke. He just needs to send someone to confirm the presence of his body in the hospital morgue and you're done."

"But it is a very Naruto way of going about it," Sakura remarked. "He may even expect it."

"So, if you were to pull that stunt and then run off when he tries to uncover your deception," Kakashi continued. "He'd have to follow because he'd still know that you knew too much. But what if the Kisuke he caught up with was not a young genin in disguise, but a jonin trusted by the Hokage."

"Oh, I get it," Naruto said with a grin. "We trick him into telling you everything."

"And my word would have far more weight than a suspected murderer, yes," Kakashi confirmed. "I'm gonna have a short chat with the other guards so you don't take a shuriken to the throat while escaping. I imagine a punctured windpipe would make your job harder."

The blond frowned. "You always say the happiest things, Sensei."

...

"...and as you can see, if we continue to build on this, there won't be a discernible pattern for our enemies to exploit without a serious intelligence leak on our behalf," Sabiru finished to the assembled people.

The Hokage withdrew the pipe from his mouth. "Alright, you have made your case. Does anyone else have anything to add? No? Then we shall cast vote. All in favour of implementing Sabiru's strategy before the chuunin exam, raise your..."

The rest of the old man's instructions drowned in the sound of the double doors to the room being kicked open. "I OBJECT!" Kisuke yelled as he dramatically stepped inside.

There was a pregnant pause as everyone in the room took a moment to absorb the event unfolding, Sabiru himself staring with wide eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Danzo demanded, as he stood up. "Who are you?"

"I am Kisuke Maboroshi, part of the Konoha police," he said. "And this man, Sabiru, is a traitor. I've been investigating him and he's trying to destroy our defences."

"Do you have any proof of this?" Magiko demanded.

"Pro-proof? Of course I have proof," the man replied. "He tried to have it destroyed, but I hid extra proof for just such an occasion."

"Is that so?" Sabiru replied, smirking. "I think the first order of business is having you prove you're actually Kisuke. Because last I heard, he died at the hospital earlier today." He turned towards the council. "In fact, I suggest we send someone to confirm that so we can end this farce of an interruption."

"Wa-wait, hear me out," the accuser tried. "He's trying to trick you."

"But are you or are you not Kisuke?" Choza asked.

"Yes. After all, if you're not Kisuke, that would certainly rob your testimony of a lot of value," Sabiru added. "But if you really are him, just wait while we send a courier to the hospital."

The man before them scowled and slammed a smoke-bomb into the floor, vanishing in the cloud that exploded forth.

Immediately, there were calls for the guards to stop the intruder, but Sabiru had already begun pursuit. He charged out of the room just in time to see the disguised person vanish out a window. He followed, landing on an overhang and stayed on his trail with a great leap across the rooftops. His target was fast, but Sabiru managed to stay on target, finally catching up to the exhausted man in the nearby park area.

The man with Kisuke's face, realising he had been followed, scowled. "So, you managed to keep up with me."

"Quite the impressive attempt there. Naruto, was it?" Sabiru asked, drawing his kunai. "But if there ever was any doubt, you just erased it. Kisuke was far too weak to ever pull something like that off."

"So why'd you do it? Why'd you kill Kisuke and his wife?" the impostor demanded.

"To clean up loose ends. Not that I have to tell you anything more," he said, approaching. "Same reason I have to kill you. I have no idea how you stumbled upon Kisuke, but it doesn't matter. I'll just say I killed you in self-defence. I'm sure no-one will be too surprised that the infamous Naruto would let the fox influence him into a bout of savagery."

The Kisuke-impersonator drew his own weapon, a tanto softly humming with charged chakra.

The traitor blinked. "Where... Where did you get that weapon from, Naruto?"

"I didn't."

Sabiru turned around, staring at Naruto and Sakura, who had stepped out of the bushes behind him. "What?" He turned back. "_Ka-Kakashi_?"

"Indeed," the cyclopean ninja remarked. "And you're charged with betraying the trust of Konohagakure. I'm sure you'll enjoy telling all about it to the Interrogation Department."

The betrayer scowled and leapt to the side, seeking to escape. His eyes widened mid-jump as the ghostly form of Kisuke manifested in front of him.

"No you don't," the spectre growled, before slamming an ethereal fist into his chest.

Sabiru froze with a pained expression, as the ghost manifested enough power to wrap his fingers around the blond's internal organs and squeeze them. He fell to his knees, gurgling and gasping in torment.

"Wow. That looked painful," Naruto remarked with a wince, as Sabiru curled up on the ground, paralyzed with agony.

"It is done," Kisuke stated. "Naruto, Sakura. Thank you. I can feel my time on this plane is running short."

"So... You have to go?" the jinchuuriki inquired.

"I am dead. It is how it is meant to be," the spectre replied.

"Sorry we couldn't save you," Sakura noted. "Maybe we could have put your soul back into your body."

Kisuke shook his head. "No. It is okay. I'll join my wife in the afterlife. If you want to help, then live your life to the fullest. And then one day, we will meet again on the other side." He smiled, as his spirit began fading. "And if you could sow some tulips on me and my wife's graves, we would appreciate it." And then he was gone.

...

The Hokage looked over the defence plans once more, before crumbling them with a sigh. "What a disgrace." He looked down at Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru, Sakura and Kakashi, who were all standing in the middle of the council room. "You have all done us and our village a great service. Sabiru has already confessed to attempting to undermine our defences, though a lot still remains to be uncovered. While this was not an official mission, you will all be rewarded as if it had been one."

"Awesome," Kiba noted happily. "Hey, did you hear that Akamaru? We're getting a big payout on this one."

"Fantastic. Maybe we could buy a new ball for me that doesn't taste like ass," the dog replied.

"Come on, you like your ball."

The Hokage coughed. "If I may remain on subject for a bit longer, we are all in your debt. You cleared Kisuke's name and undermined a high-ranking traitor in our midst." He frowned. "Truth be told, I am disturbed by the implications that someone like Sabiru could get such a prominent post."

"Yes. It is a clear sign of several flaws in the system. An investigation into Sabiru's entire career should be launched. I already know several places where security could be tightened," Danzo strictly added.

Hiruzen allowed himself a roll of his eyes. "Of course you do."

Ignoring his friend's light jab, Danzo continued. "And as for you, Magiko Uchiha, the police is the responsibility of your clan as awarded to you by Lord Second, Tobirama Senju. Yet it was only through fortune that information about this traitor's scheme was unveiled."

"With all due respect, Danzo," the steward tersely replied. "Ever since the loss of our clan leadership and most of our senior and veteran clan members, we have been critically understaffed. Most other clans having apparent more important things to dedicate themselves to than... Assisting our noble endeavour." The last part had a hint of venom to it. "Between attempts at rebuilding the clan, maintaining our responsibilities as one of the founding clans and running the police, we just don't have enough people. Taking in civilians like Kisuke to assist has at best lightened the burden. We cannot trust some of the more important positions to untrained people like them."

"Then it is your job to either rescind that responsibility so that the council may find a clan better suited for the job or negotiate with the other clans for transfers to your department," Danzo replied curtly.

As the Uchiha steward looked ready to fire back, the Hokage stepped in with: "Everyone, let us not sour the accomplishments of these brave people in front of us by bickering. There will be time to look over our errors to learn from them afterwards."

"Lord Third, if I may," Kakashi began. Receiving the signal that he might speak, he continued: "I cannot help but note that the thing about Sabiru's treachery was only feasible in the short run. Eventually, that would have been discovered. So I suspect it was all aimed at the upcoming chuunin exam."

"I suspect as much too, yes," Hiruzen confirmed.

"In that case, given the mission Sabiru helped my students receive recently, I suspect that the one he aimed to betray us to was..." Kakashi began.

"I'd like to remind you," Danzo sharply cut him off. "That the info you're speculating in are not for everyone to hear." His singular glare coldly passed over the three genin.

"Now, if that was all, I suggest we adjourn this meeting so that we can all move on to more pressing matters."

"Agreed," the Hokage noted. "Meeting adjourned."

"Man, that guy's such an asshole," Kiba commented, as the four left the meeting. "I wonder what Kakashi wanted to say."

"Dunno. But he did mention that mission." Sakura folded her arms. "The one with the Sharks. A gang of mercenaries working for someone. That's why he knew Sasuke would be there."

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"The snake. He must have ordered Sabiru to send us on that mission."

"Sounds like somebody's up to something," Akamaru commented. "Eh, at least they were foiled."

Sakura frowned. "I hope so too," she remarked.

"But you're not certain," Kiba guessed.

"No. I think... I think someone... The someone Danzo didn't want Kakashi to talk about... Is planning something... Something big." She sighed. "Something about the chuunin exam."

"Ah well. If that little worm tries anything, we'll just kick his scaly tail," Naruto confidently exclaimed. "Believe it."

"That's your answer to everything," Akamaru commented.

"So what, it works," Naruto argued defiantly.


End file.
